Affirmative action is defined by Merriam Webster as “an active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women.”

Based off of the socioeconomic history of our nation, it is only fair to consider every aspect of every candidate applying to college.

It would be foolish to say that racism is by any means absent in our country. It permeates educational systems in the same way it is embedded into other institutions and organizations of American life.

From how they are treated by their teachers who grade them, recommend them for higher courses like honors, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, and ultimately recommend them through letters to universities, minority students and students of color may have been disadvantaged by the knowing or unknowing bias of their educators.

With this in mind, affirmative action acts as a desegregation process in upper-level education, helping to alleviate any partiality that students encountered during their secondary education.

Affirmative action not only ensures that equal opportunities to attend institutions of higher learning are provided to all races, it also certifies that incoming classes of freshmen represent our entire American population.

American institutions are the envy of the world, attracting international students from all over the globe. They are the engine of American capitalism and the birth place of the nation’s next voters and leaders.

It is essential that students attending our colleges and universities learn from, engage, argue and collaborate with peers from every corner of America, which represent every possible level of wealth, ethnicity and race.
Affirmative action makes that a reality.

It levels other playing fields as well, since it allows admissions officers to level the educational offerings that differ from system to system throughout the United States.

Some minorities are in school systems that do not provide equal educational opportunities. The number of AP and IB classes differ by district and school-based available resources and teachers also limit students’ accessibility to them. This affects GPAs of candidates and makes some candidates more attractive on applications than others.

This creates unequal systems. Affirmative action makes sure these students are back in the running to compete with more fortunate school systems.

When it comes down to it, there is no debate. Simply stated, it is necessary and vital. Diversity should be a strong aspect in schools, and if affirmative action ensures that, it should be kept.