The Affirmative Action Myth
Why Blacks Don't Need Racial Preferences to Succeed
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After the Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the use of race in college admissions was unconstitutional, many predicted that the black middle class was doomed. One byproduct of a half century of affirmative action is that it has given people the impression that blacks can’t advance without special treatment. In The Affirmative Action Myth, Jason L. Riley details the neglected history of black achievement without government intervention. Using empirical data, Riley shows how black families lifted themselves out of poverty prior to the racial preference policies of the 1960s and 1970s.
Black employment, incomes, homeownership, and educational attainment all were on the rise in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century and began to stagnate only after affirmative action became the law of the land, tainting black achievement with suspicions of unfair advantage. Countering thinkers who blame white supremacy and systemic racism for today’s racial gaps, Riley offers a more optimistic story of black success without racial favoritism.
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“From his position of earned eminence among commentators on today’s intersection of culture and politics, Jason Riley dissects the false promises and actual damages of race-based policies. His book validates Chief Justice John Roberts’ acerbic words: ‘It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race.’”George F. Will, syndicated columnist
- On Sale
- May 6, 2025
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- ISBN-13
- 9781668650486
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