Affirmative Action - 1961

Established in Executive Order 10925, signed by President Kennedy in 1961, Affirmative Action required:

government contractors not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin as well as to take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin (Executive Order 10925, 1961).

Following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 it was concluded that African American children would benefit from attending integrated schools; thus began affirmative action as known today.

Blacks have a 375-year history on this continent: 245 involving slavery, 100 involving discrimination, and only 30 involving anything else.
— Historian Roger Wilkins