The Affirmative Action Myth by Jason L. Riley, Hardcover, 9781541604551 | Buy online at The Nile
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The Affirmative Action Myth

Why Blacks Don't Need Racial Preferences to Succeed

Author: Jason L. Riley  

Hardcover

From Wall Street Journal columnist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jason L. Riley, a contrarian argument that racial preferences have done more harm than good for black Americans

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7th July 2025
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Hardcover

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Summary

From Wall Street Journal columnist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jason L. Riley, a contrarian argument that racial preferences have done more harm than good for black Americans

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Description

From Wall Street Journal columnist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jason L. Riley, a contrarian argument that racial preferences have done more harm than good for black Americans

After the Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the use of race in college admissions was unconstitutional, many predicted that the black middle class was doomed. One byproduct of a half century of affirmative action is that it has given people the impression that blacks can't advance without special treatment. In The Affirmative Action Myth, Jason L. Riley details the neglected history of black achievement without government intervention. Using empirical data, Riley shows how black families lifted themselves out of poverty prior to the racial preference policies of the 1960s and 1970s.

Black employment, incomes, homeownership, and educational attainment all were on the rise in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century and began to stagnate only after affirmative action became the law of the land, tainting black achievement with suspicions of unfair advantage. Countering thinkers who blame white supremacy and systemic racism for today's racial gaps, Riley offers a more optimistic story of black success without racial favoritism.

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Critic Reviews

"From his position of earned eminence among commentators on today's intersection of culture and politics, Jason Riley dissects the false promises and actual damages of race-based policies. His book validates Chief Justice John Roberts' acerbic words: 'It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race.'"--George F. Will, syndicated columnist

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About the Author

Jason L. Riley is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a columnist for the Wall Street Journal. He is the author of several previous books, including Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell.

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Product Details

Publisher
Basic Books
Published
29th May 2025
Pages
288
ISBN
9781541604551

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7th July 2025
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