The Profit Motive May Well Preserve Affirmative Action

Going way back, I mean way back, I taught for a year at what was still called a "black college" in Missouri. It is Lincoln University in Jefferson City. At that time, just a few years after school integration and all protests and violence, quotas for racial balance were being established for some corporations. I recall a white recruiter coming to my office and saying, "I'm behind the eight ball. I need to hire several black graduates. Could you give me a list of you best black students and maybe put in a good word for my company?"

I think it is accurate to say that quotas and the hiring of racial minorities and the later gender balance in hiring has turned out to be good for business. Corporations led the way in providing family benefits to gay couples and there are lots of women with CEO positions. 

While there are plenty of arguments that racial and gender equality have not been reached, I have not seen any part of what I'll call "corporate America" say hiring balance among race and gender has been bad for profits. On the contrary, this balance is lauded. There is an endless stream of "boycotts" by religious groups of corporations that endorse gender equality, but none seems to back down or be damaged much by them. That is why I think there will be ways for universities to continue to practice some forms of balance even with a federal prohibition on racial and gender quotas. The profit motives of corporations will push universities to provide the affirmative action balance of society corporations feel they need. 

When liberal people sneer at the profit motive I try to remind them that Rosa Parks, the black woman who refused to move to the back of the bus, rode on a city bus that was operated, not by the city, but by a private company. The company did not like the conflicting rules the buses needed to run on time but also require drivers herd passengers around the bus. Neither the bus company nor the drivers liked the rule. It had not always been the rule but was put in place when segregation was threatened--a pattern we're seeing with anti abortion. Perhaps others before Rosa Parks had ignored the rule. 

Black people also boycotted white businesses and these business people lobbied to end some segregation. Adam Smith wrote in 1776 the motives of greed and self interest can result to good to a society and he was not all wrong. Karl Marx said capitalism needs to be regulated because greed and self interest know no boundaries and can destroy societies. He was partially right as well.

In general it seems to me, the profit motive will help, not harm, affirmative action. Already, some of the anti abortion and anti gay groups are talking anti business. It's all fun to watch.