The historic Plessy vs. Ferguson decision is reviewed along with the 14th Amendment on which the decision was based. The Brown case is discussed. The issues and implications in the Bakke case are also elucidated. (Author/AM)

Research conducted over a 25-year period concerning the needs and problems of African American students at a large, predominantly white university was used to defend a reverse-discrimination lawsuit against that university. The plaintiff claimed that the past effects of discrimination had been ameliorated and that the affirmative active programs…

The history of the social, legal, and educational aspects of equal opportunity and equal results are outlined, and the rift between the two principles is described. Equal opportunity laws work, especially when enforced expeditiously, and are supported by most Americans. Equal results laws are a failure and counterproductive. (Author/AL)

A content analysis was made of all issues of "Newsweek,""Time," and "U. S. News and World Report" published during 1978 to identify the picture of race relations that was presented to the public. Among the findings were the following: (1) "Newsweek" gave the most well-rounded coverage, "U. S. News"…

Several court cases concerning affirmative action programs both in education and in employment are reviewed in light of Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act. Implications of past court decisions are discussed, as are possible future decisions. (MC)

Today, the United States stands at a critical crossroad with regard to civil rights; the choice is between an officially colorblind society and a government-supported, race-conscious one. The purpose of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments was to end a discriminatory system and to erect in its place a regime of race neutrality. In 1896, the…

Data collected by the Louis Harris polling organization in 1978 concerning Black attitudes toward affirmative action programs were analyzed. It was found that Blacks who are optimistic and do not feel powerless generally support these programs. Whites who were also polled felt ambivalent toward them. (CJM)

Content analyses of four Black newspapers during 1977 indicate that only one newspaper gave the Regents of the University of California v Bakke case substantial front-page coverage and suggest that most items provided only superficial facts about the case rather than interpretative information. (GT)

This article cites statistics and documentation from a book entitled "The Case for Affirmative Action for Blacks in Higher Education," to illustrate the argument that affirmative action is not only legal, but absolutely essential. (Author/EB)

The historical background of federal preferential treatment to particular groups, such as the case of the current affirmative action programs, is reviewed. Some of the arguments against affirmative action are criticized and the necessity for such programs is stressed. (MC)

Sketches a broad and general defense of the constitutionality of some kinds of preferential admissions and hiring programs in favor of Blacks by constructing a moral justification of these practices. Available from American Journal of Jurisprudence, Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556; reprint, $1.00. (Author/IRT)

Focuses upon (1) the largely negative implications of the Bakke decision with respect to educational and professional opportunities for Blacks, and (2) the continuing need for affirmative action in higher education, especially graduate and professional programs. The Bakke case and issues involved in selective admissions policies are briefly…

Affirmative action in hiring black and Hispanic college faculty is still controversial and has still not achieved its objectives. Even some middle-class black professors who have benefited from the policy oppose it. Misconceptions about the function of affirmative action persists; to some, it connotes preferential treatment and racial quotas. (MSE)

In a test of affirmative-action policies, a white teacher, Sharon Taxman, filed reverse discrimination charges when her downsizing district terminated her and kept a black teacher of nearly identical qualifications. The case was settled out of court. If the U.S. Supreme Court had heard the case under either the Equal Protection or Title VII…