Intro

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Post Show Musings

Outro

Affirmative action has a long history in the United States, beginning with the labor movement in the 1930s. But over time, the country and the courts developed a far more narrow definition with respect to the college and university admissions process. Today, the vestiges of affirmative action are once again under attack and likely to fall apart completely under the conservative Trump court. In this episode, we review the history of affirmative action, how it came to be settled law and why it’s likely to be stripped away. 

Chapters

Intro: 00:01:15

Chapter One: Affirmative action has always been hanging by a thread. 00:03:04

Chapter Two: Everyone’s a winner, everyone’s a loser. 00:09:05

Chapter Three: As usual, there’s a villain behind all this. 00:17:16

Chapter Four: The unlevel playing field. 00:23:41

Chapter Five: Bring it home, Max. 00:29:12

Post Show Musings: 00:47:13

Outro: 00:49:10

Resources

Smithsonian Magazine: The Origins of the Term ‘Affirmative Action’

National Archives: Executive Order 11478 - Equal employment opportunity in the Federal Government

National Archives: Executive Order 8802 - Prohibition of Discrimination in the Defense Industry (1941)

The New York Times Magazine: Why Is Affirmative Action in Peril? One Man’s Decision.

ACLU: What You Need to Know about Affirmative Action at the Supreme Court

ACLU: Meet Edward Blum, the Man Who Wants to Kill Affirmative Action in Higher Education

The New York Times: He Took On the Voting Rights Act and Won. Now He’s Taking On Harvard

Mother Jones: Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement

The Federal Reserve: Wealth Inequality and the Racial Wealth Gap

Economic Policy Institute: Understanding black-white disparities in labor market outcomes requires models that account for persistent discrimination and unequal bargaining power

Brookings: Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education

The Atlantic: Justice Jackson’s Crucial Argument About Affirmative Action

UNFTR Resources

Episode: America, Inc.

--

If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR

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Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.

Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."

Affirmative action has a long history in the United States, beginning with the labor movement in the 1930s. But over time, the country and the courts developed a far more narrow definition with respect to the college and university admissions process. Today, the vestiges of affirmative action are once again under attack and likely to fall apart completely under the conservative Trump court. In this episode, we review the history of affirmative action, how it came to be settled law and why it’s likely to be stripped away. 
Chapters
Intro: 00:01:15
Chapter One: Affirmative action has always been hanging by a thread. 00:03:04
Chapter Two: Everyone’s a winner, everyone’s a loser. 00:09:05
Chapter Three: As usual, there’s a villain behind all this. 00:17:16
Chapter Four: The unlevel playing field. 00:23:41
Chapter Five: Bring it home, Max. 00:29:12
Post Show Musings: 00:47:13
Outro: 00:49:10
Resources
Smithsonian Magazine: <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/learn-origins-term-affirmative-action-180959531/">The Origins of the Term ‘Affirmative Action’</a>
National Archives: <a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/11478.html">Executive Order 11478 - Equal employment opportunity in the Federal Government</a>
National Archives: <a href="https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-8802">Executive Order 8802 - Prohibition of Discrimination in the Defense Industry (1941)</a>
The New York Times Magazine: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/15/magazine/affirmative-action-supreme-court.html">Why Is Affirmative Action in Peril? One Man’s Decision.</a>
ACLU: <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/what-you-need-to-know-about-affirmative-action-at-the-supreme-court">What You Need to Know about Affirmative Action at the Supreme Court</a>
ACLU: <a href="https://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/meet-edward-blum-man-who-wants-kill-affirmative-action-higher">Meet Edward Blum, the Man Who Wants to Kill Affirmative Action in Higher Education</a>
The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/19/us/affirmative-action-lawsuits.html">He Took On the Voting Rights Act and Won. Now He’s Taking On Harvard</a>
Mother Jones: <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/02/donors-trust-donor-capital-fund-dark-money-koch-bradley-devos/">Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement</a>
The Federal Reserve: <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/wealth-inequality-and-the-racial-wealth-gap-20211022.html">Wealth Inequality and the Racial Wealth Gap</a>
Economic Policy Institute: <a href="https://www.epi.org/unequalpower/publications/understanding-black-white-disparities-in-labor-market-outcomes/">Understanding black-white disparities in labor market outcomes requires models that account for persistent discrimination and unequal bargaining power</a>
Brookings: <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/unequal-opportunity-race-and-education/">Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education</a>
The Atlantic: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/11/affirmative-action-supreme-court-ketanji-brown-jackson/671954/">Justice Jackson’s Crucial Argument About Affirmative Action</a>
UNFTR Resources
Episode: <a href="https://www.unftr.com/blog/america-inc-copyright-2021">America, Inc.</a>
--
If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@UNFTR">www.youtube.com/@UNFTR</a>
Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://unftr.com/rate">unftr.com/rate</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Unfucking-The-Republic-102319714930389">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/unftrpod">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unftrpod/">Instagram</a> at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/">unftr.com</a>.
Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565">facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565</a>
Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at <a href="https://shop.unftr.com/">shop.unftr.com</a>.
Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/blog#subscribe">unftr.com/blog</a> to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week.
Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1PpzNXBub9FLngMradJByC?si=abaed3d396504fae">spoti.fi/3yzIlUP.</a>
Visit our bookshop.org page at <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod">bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod</a> to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at<a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations"> bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations</a>.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/accessibility">unftr.com/accessibility</a>.
Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (<a href="https://www.mannyfacesmedia.com">mannyfacesmedia.com</a>). Original music is by Tom McGovern (<a href="http://www.tommcgovern.com/">tommcgovern.com</a>). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99.
Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 

Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 

As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 

Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is a series of audio essays on the grand American experiment lovingly curated and presented by a quasi-anonymous political writer. 
Each essay reflects on a singular topic that is generally misunderstood or purposely obfuscated by the so-called “powers that be.” As we know, history is written by the victors and can be perilously manufactured to favor destructive world views. These views become intractably ingrained in the public consciousness and pervert public policy, oftentimes with horrific results. 
As of this podcast’s founding, we find ourselves living in a true kakistocracy. The disconnect between what we believe and what is actually happening below the surface or in plain sight is where this podcast lives. 
Together we’ll upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on the left, right and center and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how exactly we arrived in bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended. #UNFTR

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