What is discrimination and affirmative action?

What is Discrimination and Affirmative Action?
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What is Discrimination and Affirmative Action?
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of a person or a group based on specific characteristics that may include gender, race, or sexual orientation. On the other hand, affirmative action encompasses measures put in place in the allocation of resources through a process that will ensure consideration of underrepresented groups such as the minority and women. The contemporary debate about discrimination based on race and gender is far from over as each side feel distressed by the arguments of their opponents. Mainly, minorities argue that unlawful discrimination has continued for decades because the white majority has used the opportunity to advance their interests at the expense of the minority. Discrimination and affirmative action, as this essay will prove, are still issues of contention, and understanding their history will help one comprehend the policies put in place as their remedy.
Discrimination
The history of discrimination is traced back to the seventeenth century after blacks were brought to the United States and sold as slaves to work in plantations. Slavery intensified following the U.S Supreme Court ruling in the Dred Scott v. Sanford, which legitimized slavery (Williams, 2017). The Court decision infuriated African Americans, and it led to the Civil War which pitted the North Unionists led by Lincoln and the South Con…