Recent Affirmative Action Battles and the Implications for America’s Promise

by Julie Quiroz-Martinez, © 2010

Culling from interviews with leaders around the country, this report explores the factors that contributed to defensive wins in 2009, as well as ways to move from defensive to proactive strategies in the future.  As this report demonstrates, for the first time in many years, a ripple of momentum exists around the possibility of not only protecting affirmative action, but also of expanding public support and policies that address race and gender inequities.