In 1961 John F.Kennedy issued an executive order calling for Affirmative Action as a means to promote equal opportunity for racial minorities, in hiring by federal contractors. This was the first official use of the term by the Federal Government. Eight years later Nixon as President beefed up the Office of Federal Compliance Programs, which along with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has become one of the governments two main enforcers of affirmative action policy.(Grolier's Electronic Encyclopedia, 1993)

Such efforts have vastly expanded opportunities for Afro-Americans. However they have also touched off complaints from many whites that Afro-Americans are benefiting from reverse discrimination. Under the equal opportunity act of 1972 most federal contractors, subcontractors, all state and government institutions (including universities) must initiate plans to increase the proportions of their female and minority employees until they are equal to the proportions existing in the available labor market.(Groli

The regents decision was hailed as an "Historical achievement" by Republican Governor Pete Wilson. Wilson responded to White House Chief of Staff's Leon Panetta's contentions that the board of regents made a terrible mistake and that the Justice Department would begin a review of the billions of dollars that flow from the federal government into the states' universities, by claiming that the state will not be intimidated by the implicit threat of losing the huge largess in student aid and research funds that the university receives. The university would follow through with the dismantling of the programs because, they were wrong and unfair.(NY Times, July 22 1995, pp.7)

Affirmative action has moved to the forefront of public debate in recent months with a proposed California ballot initiative that would end many race-based preference programs. The University of California itself has become the focus of debate after Ward Connerly, a Regent for the University of California system called for an end to such preferences in admissions. The Chancellor of UCLA Charles E. Young, quickly took a strong stand against Mr. Connerly, saying that affirmative action had benefited the university and should continue.(NY.Times, June 4 1995, pp.22)

Affirmative action plans that establish racial quotas were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the case of University of California VS. Bakke in 1978. This case arose when the medical school of the University of California at Davis twice rejected Allen Bakke's application while admitting members of racial minorities who had lower test scores. Bakke charged tha

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