Affirmative action began in the 1960s as a way to end discrimination against African Americans and later against all minorities - including women. The migration of people of all colors into workplaces and colleges/universities seemed like the right solution to diversify our nation. Even though black people had been freed for 100 years, they continually fought against segregation. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned all forms of segregation in the United States, but it was not enough. Congress mandated the affirmative action program as a plan for desegregation. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy referred to this plan, but it was not until September 1965 that it was implemented by President Lyndon Johnson. The program affected federal jobs, including federal contractors and universities. In order to receive federal funding, each entity had to hire and enroll minorities. Affirmative action was a great start in getting our country to where it is today. However, affirmative action should not be pursued because it constitutes a form of discrimination, it is more harmful than helpful, and it complements race or gender in obtaining a qualification. The government thinks that implementing affirmative action will fix inequalities, but this is not the case. By making connections to promote equality, they encourage discrimination. Discrimination is the violation of a person's human rights based on gender, sex, race, ethnicity and/or relationship. President Johnson felt that blacks being free and able to attend the same school as Caucasians was not enough to deal with the past discrimination and unrest that African Americans went through. Affirmative action was used as a remedy to remedy wasted time. Sandal made valid points; he noted that the...... middle of document....../wp-srv/politics/special/affirm/stories/aaop031595.htmMurphy, S. (July 23, 2010). The judge told the city to hire four white firefighters. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/08/26/judge_tells_city_to_hire_four_white_firefighters/Plous, S. (2003). Ten myths about affirmative action. Retrieved from http://www.understandingprejudice.org/readroom/articles/affirm.htmPottinger, J. (1972). The march towards equality. New York: Change Magazine. Sandel, M. (2009). Justice: What is the right thing to do? New York: Farrar, Straus, GirouxSargis, D. (March 2, 2004). Race-Based College Scholarships. Retrieved from http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article3183.html Affirmative Action Milestone Timeline (July 5, 2010). Retrieved from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmativetimeline1.html