When affirmative action was white : an untold history of racial inequality in twentieth-century America

**A groundbreaking work that exposes the twisted origins of affirmative action.** In this "penetrating new analysis" (__New York Times Book Review__) Ira Katznelson fundamentally recasts our understanding of twentieth-century American history and demonstrates that all the key programs passed during the New Deal and Fair Deal era of the 1930s and 1940s were created in a deeply discriminatory manner. Through mechanisms designed by Southern Democrats that specifically excluded maids and farm workers, the gap between blacks and whites actually widened despite postwar prosperity. In the words of noted historian Eric Foner, "Katznelson's incisive book should change the terms of debate about affirmative action, and about the last seventy years of American history."

A groundbreaking work that exposes the twisted origins of affirmative action.

In this "penetrating new analysis" (New York Times Book Review) Ira Katznelson fundamentally recasts our understanding of twentieth-century American history and demonstrates that all the key programs passed during the New Deal and Fair Deal era of the 1930s and 1940s were created in a deeply discriminatory manner. Through mechanisms designed by Southern Democrats that specifically excluded maids and farm workers, the gap between blacks and whites actually widened despite postwar prosperity. In the words of noted historian Eric Foner, "Katznelson's incisive book should change the terms of debate about affirmative action, and about the last seventy years of American history."

A study on the lesser-known origins of affirmative action argues that key programs passed during the New Deal and Fair Deal era of the 1930s and 1940s were purposefully discriminatory, revealing how Southern democrats widened the gap between black and white Americans through specific restrictions in social security, the GI bill, and landmark labor laws. 10,000 first printing. A Work That Exposes The Twisted Origins Of Affirmative Action -- Provided By Publisher. Doctor Of Laws -- Welfare In Black And White -- Rules For Work -- Divisions In War -- White Veterans Only -- Johnson's Ambitions, Powell's Principles : Thoughts On Renewing Affirmative Action. Ira Katznelson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [182]-224) And Index. Many mid 20th century American government programs created to help citizens survive and improve ended up being heavily biased against African-Americans. Katznelson documents this white affirmative action, and argues that its existence should be an important part of the argument in support of late 20th century affirmative action programs. "Demonstrating that all the key programs passed during the New Deal and Fair Deal eras of the 1930s and 1940s were created in a deeply discriminatory manner, Ira Katznelson recasts our understanding of twentieth-century American history and politics in this groundbreaking work. Book jacket."--Jacket THE SUN HAD BEGUN its downward slope on the evening of June 4, 1965, as President Lyndon Johnson mounted the podium on the main quadrangle of Howard University, the country's most celebrated black center of higher education.