Fading Footsteps

“Fading Footsteps”

 (The Dismantlement of Affirmative Action)                               

By Glenn Peppers                                                                       4-23-14

It is my understanding that Affirmative Action was never meant to be used as a means to let anyone who did not, or could not cut the mustard slide into academia, or america’s already  corrupt nepotistic employment cracks; seeping through to enter into a collage, or any job position undeserved; therefore unfairly excluding anyone not of color, who would be better suited or equally qualified for that same job; or meeting the required educational criteria for collage entry! 

If this were the case, then affirmative action was indeed being abused, and justice was not being served. In this present day america, with its ever increasing incidences of racial injustice, and hate inspired acts put against blacks and others. I predict an upsurge of collage entry denials, as well as many other denials and forms of abuse to many people of color in the workplace.  And I’m speaking of competent people. Not lay about’s, and folks looking for a hand out! I do not condone Johnny’s brother in-law snaking his way inside the company, or into a school he knows he doesn't deserve to walk the halls of... be he Black or White! 

There is already a sea unfairness in job placement and the hiring practices in corporate america that is unprecedented. I feel in these incidences, denial and unfairness will drastically increase in the coming months and years, and that things will only get worse.  

Traveling along with this rise in flat out prejudice and enmity against people of color since 2008, I also feel that an america without Affirmative Action (or something close to it) will leave scores of intelligent, and capable people of color at the mercy of Star Chamber-like Councils, and Corrupt Collage Boards who will gleefully deny various groups and people access to higher learning and corporate (or other) employment opportunities with impunity! 

This could quite possibly be done as a joint effort in conjunction with many corporations who have already established large corporations, and schools in america today.  Without some sort of means to ensure Fair Standard Practice (remember Fair Standard Practice?... No?), what’s to stop any educational institute or any corporation from boldly discriminating, and denying people of color a fair and equal opportunity at success, simply because they can?... absolutely nothing! 

Jim Crow “is” re-emerging in the guise of various Laws being passed by an antiquated, and divisive Supreme Court of these United States. Their carving up of the Voters Rights Act passed just over 40 years ago a few months back is a prime example of how they and other entities are intentionally, and willfully striping us down, and covering up those freedom footprints in the sand that so many have laid before us. Footprints that have shown us the way.  

So now its come down to this... One by one, those many footprints in the sand to freedom and Equality that we’ve made are slowly, and legally being Minus’ed Out by the stroke of a pen! Quite possibly by the same pen that enacted those self-same laws so many years before! Our lives are being judged and dealt from the bottom of the deck, and signed into order by the stroke of a plastic ink pen; and all decided by a narrow minded chosen few. Some of whom just may have gotten where they are in life as a result of affirmative action, themselves!

I’m sure that at least one of those judges had help, or received some sort of act of generosity, or an act of kindness, fairness and benevolence from someone or some organization that brought them along. Its a fact that in life, "No man truly does it alone!" We all have help along the way, at one point or another from someone!   

For those who have succeed. You know that life deals out an act of allowance taking you higher! Allowing whomever (by the sweat of their brow and from hard work) to become educated, and then rise on up to eventually become judges, and senators, and doctors and what not! 

Think about it! Can you really compare affirmative action, to (lets say) Bob’s uncle Wilson putting in a good word for his nephew Bob to fellow board members so that Bob’s hiring, and streaking up the corporate ladder will be  tremendously easier than you or I can ever imagine? In a matter of weeks, there’s ole’ Bob bypassing all those on the first floor, and heading toward the executive washroom, with the Walled-window office, and corner view. 

Now if affirmative action is so totally unfair, then how fair is Bob’s un-compromised rising into, and through the company to the executive board compared to that poor guy being interviewed on the first floor, who has got mad the skills, yet will never get the job Bob has, because Bob has it all locked down from the inside? 

Bob’s affirmative action is nepotistically locked in place, and sealed. And all without presenting barely a resume!... Thanks to good ole’ Uncle Wilson! With Affirmative Action, no one worth their salt is asking for an unfair advantage! To people of color, Affirmative Action represented an equal chance at the so-called american dream. Not some inside unfair advantage. Just an equal shot! 

I say, “Don’t make things easy for me. I’m just as smart (and maybe even more so) than anyone!” I’d just like the same chances and availability factors! Anyone abusing affirmative action was not making things better for anyone else but themselves. Sometimes I wonder was the abuse of AA intentional in order to eventually destroy it!

So there it is. In the time it took to view it all in a news report. Gone, just like that! One more thing that helped bring people of color along out of the dredges of hopelessness, signed away, in just over 40 years time.  

Those footprints in the sand to freedom, are slowly disappearing people! One step at a time! We are indeed being Minus’ed out!... Our footsteps to freedom are indeed, One by One being Minus’ed Out!... One by One!... As a result, we have no other choice but to make new footprints in the sand! 

By Glenn Peppers