Hilary O. Shelton

Hilary O. Shelton is deputy director of the Washington Bureau of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), America’s oldest civil rights organization. In the following viewpoint, she argues that discrimination against women and minorities remains a significant social problem. Affirmative action programs—which she defines as efforts to integrate society by expanding educational and employment opportunities—have promoted equality of opportunity in employment, housing, and education for minorities and women. Opponents of affirmative action, Shelton asserts, have used misleading and deceptive arguments that associate affirmative action with racial quotas and reverse discrimination against whites.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What presidential executive orders created and expanded affirmative action, according to Shelton?
2. What examples of successful affirmative action programs does the author describe?
3. What response does Shelton make to...