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Description

Between 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson defined affirmative action as a legitimate federal goal, and 1972, when President Richard M. Nixon named one of affirmative action's chief antagonists the head of the Department of Labor, government officials at all levels addressed racial economic inequality in earnest. Providing members of historically disadvantaged groups an equal chance at obtaining limited and competitive positions, affirmative action had the potential to alienate large numbers of white Americans, even those who had viewed school desegregation and voting rights in a positive light. Thus, affirmative action was — and continues to be — controversial. This book examines federal efforts to diversify the construction trades from the 1950s through the 1970s, offering valuable insights into the origins of affirmative action-related policy. The book analyzes how community activism pushed the federal government to address issues of racial exclusion and marginalization in the construction industry with programs in key American cities.

Publication Date

2011

Publisher

The University Press of Kentucky

Place of Publication

Lexington, KY

ISBN

978-0-8131-2997-6

eISBN

978-0-8131-2998-3 (pdf version)

eISBN

978-0-8131-3964-7 (epub version)

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5810/kentucky/9780813129976.001.0001

Keywords

Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Economic inequality, School desegregation, Voting rights, Community activism, Racial exclusion

Disciplines

African American Studies | Inequality and Stratification | United States History

Constructing Affirmative Action: The Struggle for Equal Employment Opportunity
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