Affirmative Action

Not long ago, perhaps a little more than a decade, perfectly “qualified” women and people of color couldn’t get through the front door when it came to well-paying, prestigious occupations—or, indeed, many less attractive jobs. There were almost no black students and few white women in graduate and professional schools, not to mention in professorial ranks. In the legal profession, it was long difficult for women and blacks to obtain places in law schools, and later, in the best practices. There were no women carpenters, police, or sales-people in big-ticket items. And, of course, there were no male telephone operators.

Some things have changed a lot and some haven’t. In films and on television we see fema...