In doing so, many of the earlier works ignored what Katznelson captures quite well: the impact that Jim Crow had historically in the realm of politics and economics. Katznelson's argument is unique in the sense that many of the works regarding Affirmative Action begin with the 1960s and refer to the policy as an outgrowth of the pressure that organized African American citizens put on the federal government to address economic inequality. Focusing on the period preceding the modern Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Katznelson carefully explains how the federal government-at the bidding of state officials-contributed to the systematic construction of a solid, white middle class and a struggling black underclass. While many radio and television talk show hosts have struggled to highlight the perceived "unfairness" of Affirmative Action programs, the author successfully demonstrates the unfairness that only Affirmative Action can begin to redress. In his book When Affirmative Action Was White, Ira Katznelson provides depth to the contemporary conversations about the controversial policy of Affirmative Action. Ira Katznelson, When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth Century America.
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