Did Affirmative Action Work? Examining its Impact on Black Advancement

Early Criticisms of Affirmative Action

• 💡 Derrick Bell, a proponent of critical race theory, initially objected to racial preferences in admissions, viewing them as "benevolent paternalism."
• ⚠️ Bell warned that racial preferences could taint the accomplishments of Black students, preventing them from receiving genuine credit and confidence.
• 🧠 His early concerns foreshadowed later arguments about the psychological toll of affirmative action, creating an impression that Black advancement is impossible without it.

Progress Before Affirmative Action

• 📈 Between 1940 and 1960, Black Americans made significant progress in education and income, narrowing gaps with white Americans before affirmative action policies were widespread.
• 📊 Educational gains were substantial, with the gap in years of schooling narrowing by more than half, and the percentage of Black individuals with high school diplomas tripling.
• 💰 Similarly, median incomes for Black males saw a 570% increase between 1940 and 1960, outpacing the growth for white males.

Impact of Affirmative Action

• 📉 Trends in educational and income parity slowed down as colleges began compromising admissions standards in the late 1960s and affirmative action policies became more prevalent.
• 📊 While Black men's median income rose from 40% to 60% of the white male median before affirmative action (1940-1970), it only increased by seven more points to 67% in the first 25 years of affirmative action (1970-1995).
• 📈 For Black women, median earnings showed even more striking gains before affirmative action (36% to 73% between 1940-1970), with only a 16-point rise in the subsequent 25 years.

Re-evaluating the Narrative

• 🎯 The belief that disparities are solely due to discrimination, rather than differences in skills or behavior, underpins the ideology of affirmative action.
• 🧐 The historical record suggests that Black people made greater strides under colorblind policies than under affirmative action.
• ✅ Jason Riley concludes that Black individuals do not need racial preferences to succeed, echoing Derrick Bell's initial stance against affirmative action.