Show notes
Affirmative action has a long history in the United States, beginning with the labor movement in the 1930s. But over time, the country and the courts developed a far more narrow definition with respect to the college and university admissions process. Today, the vestiges of affirmative action are once again under attack and likely to fall apart completely under the conservative Trump court. In this episode, we review the history of affirmative action, how it came to be settled law and why it’s likely to be stripped away.
Chapters
Intro: 00:01:15
Chapter One: Affirmative action has always been hanging by a thread. 00:03:04
Chapter Two: Everyone’s a winner, everyone’s a loser. 00:09:05
Chapter Three: As usual, there’s a villain behind all this. 00:17:16
Chapter Four: The unlevel playing field. 00:23:41
Chapter Five: Bring it home, Max. 00:29:12
Post Show Musings: 00:47:13
Outro: 00:49:10
Resources
Smithsonian Magazine: The Origins of the Term ‘Affirmative Action’
National Archives: Executive Order 11478 - Equal employment opportunity in the Federal Government
National Archives: Executive Order 8802 - Prohibition of Discrimination in the Defense Industry (1941)
The New York Times Magazine: Why Is Affirmative Action in Peril? One Man’s Decision.
ACLU: What You Need to Know about Affirmative Action at the Supreme Court
ACLU: Meet Edward Blum, the Man Who Wants to Kill Affirmative Action in Higher Education
The New York Times: He Took On the Voting Rights Act and Won. Now He’s Taking On Harvard
Mother Jones: Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement
The Federal Reserve: Wealth Inequality and the Racial Wealth Gap
Economic Policy Institute: Understanding black-white disparities in labor market outcomes requires models that account for persistent discrimination and unequal bargaining power
Brookings: Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education
The Atlantic: Justice Jackson’s Crucial Argument About Affirmative Action
UNFTR Resources
Episode: America, Inc.
--
If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR
Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.
Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565
Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com.
Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.
Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.
Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.
Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.
Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."
Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/memberships
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
