Jamin B. Raskin

Many critics of affirmative action oppose it as a system that establishes quotas and preferential treatment for minority groups while ignoring individual merit. In the following viewpoint, Jamin B. Raskin takes issue with this opinion, asserting that affirmative action is a small but necessary step toward eliminating discrimination against and recognizing the merit of minorities and women. Since “merit” reflects the values of those who define it, and since access to educational institutions and employment is largely controlled by white males, Raskin maintains, affirmative action is still necessary to ensure equal opportunity for minorities and women. Raskin, a professor of law and associate dean at American University’s Washington College of Law, has written extensively on civil rights and racial issues.

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