Affirmative Action is a system that enables social and racial minorities to obtain success in the workplace. This is to ensure the success of minorities is equal to their non-minority counterparts.The first step was taken by John F. Kennedy, who implemented executive order 10925 which states, “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.”

Kennedy directed society the look beyond physical differences and to be in favor of the whole person and their ability. Affirmative Action does not subject under qualified people, to enroll in, Universities and obtain positions where they do not meet the standards of the position.

Affirmative action works in the United States specifically in institutions or organizations that implement efforts to improve opportunities for historically excluded groups in American. Colleges and Universities use affirmative action policies to provide equal access to education for those groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and minorities. These factors are taken into account during the admission process, the student meets the criteria of an accepted student and is viewed on a higher scale due to affirmative action.

For example, The University of Michigan's enrollment process is on a point system. This includes 150 points, and it awarded points based on items such as race (20 points), athletic ability (20 points), depth of essay (up to 3 points), leadership and service (up to 5 points) and personal achievement (up to 5 points). The point system, therefore, automatically awarded admission points to underrepresented minorities.

President Lyndon Johnson furthered JFK’s ideal and said in 1965, “You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say you are free to compete with all the others, and still just believe that you have been completely fair.”

President Johnson summarized the importance of equal opportunity in higher education and employment opportunities. The importance of Affirmative Action is to ensure that all people are in an environment free of any form of discriminatory harassment. This is an opportunity made possible so that women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are given fair access in America.

Demonstrated data proves that, “48% of the college-educated workforce, hold over 90% of the top jobs in media, 96% of CEO positions, 86% of law firm partnerships.” These numbers are occupied by the majority and not the minority, Affirmative Action is in place to change these numbers and diversify the playing field.

Affirmative Action is needed because it represents an interconnected society that America is constantly transforming into. The underrepresented minority groups of the United States are much less likely to have the ability to reach higher education, which directly impacts them in obtaining higher placement in the workplace.

For the first 250 years of America's history,Black-Americans were traded as commodities and forced to work without pay, first as indentured servants than as slaves. In much of the United States at this time, they were barred from all levels of education, from basic reading to higher-level skills useful outside of the plantation setting.

Affirmative Action takes notice to this tragic history and allows the proceeding generations to be given education at a raised level compared to the white majority in the education system. Despite the time gap between then and now such historical issues relate to the lack of self-worth and belief in oneself. Other minority groups such as Native Americans, veterans, and disabled are considered in the same category process of Affirmative Action.

The group belief of instructing a strong affirmative action system is centered around the idea of America constantly changing and growing into the society it is today. The group believes that Affirmative Action is necessary due to the lack of accessibility to the tangibles necessary to further education while securing their position in society. By continuing to diversify America, the United States will grow due to the influx of ideas, and perspectives brought by non-whites in the classroom, and in the office.