Richard Nixon and the origins of affirmative action.

Richard Nixon's approval of the Philadelphia Plan during his 1968 presidential term provided the basis for affirmative action. The plan targeted racial bias in the building trades, setting "hiring goals" rather than "quotas," although distinctions between the two terms was never fully clarified. This contradicts popular attribution of affirmative action to Nixon's Democratic predecessors.

"Incredible but true," declared Fortune magazine at the time of Richard M. Nixon's death in 1994. "It was the Nixonites who gave us employment quotas."(1) Until recently, many scholars and journalists have credited Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson with initiating ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

See all results. Or, try our Advanced Search.

Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 60 million articles! Access over 3,500 publications with a FREE trial!