Labor 131: Affirmative Action's Evolution

On this edition of Labor 131, presented by the National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, D. Caleb Smith, Assistant Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the origins and evolution of affirmative action. Smith explored the term's roots in the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, its development through the Civil Rights era and its current challenges under the Trump administration.

Smith traced affirmative action's beginnings to the Wagner Act of 1935, which first used the term to address labor discrimination. However, he said the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and other civil rights groups initially opposed the act due to its allowance of closed shops, which permitted unions to discriminate against African Americans. Smith highlighted how this early legislation laid the groundwork for future debates on workplace equality and discrimination.

He then shifted the conversation to efforts by the Kennedy and Johnson administrations to strengthen affirmative action. Smith detailed Kennedy’s Executive Order 10925, which introduced the modern definition of affirmative action, and Johnson's Executive Order 11246, which expanded protections for federal contractors. These orders, while groundbreaking, still faced challenges in enforcement and implementation, setting the stage for ongoing legal battles and policy debates, he noted.

Smith concluded by examining the current state of affirmative action under the Trump administration. He discussed how recent policy changes, including the repeal of Executive Order 11246, have redefined concepts of racial discrimination and merit. Smith emphasized the potential consequences of these shifts, particularly for people of color in corporate spaces, and highlighted the ongoing struggle to balance fair employment practices with political ideologies.

Listen to the full episode for more from Smith on affirmative action's complex history and its impact on today's workforce.