It has been said that the differences within humanity are what make it great. The fact that people are unique and not seemingly clones of each other gives variety and brilliance to a multiracial culture. Unfortunately, this diversity has led to hatred and violence. Man tends to be afraid of what he does not know and fears what he does not understand. Because of this racism, minorities have not been as privileged as those who have the support of the majority. In recent decades, several legislations have emerged to balance this problem. One of these solutions is affirmative action. Affirmative action is the practice of setting quotas and limitations on companies regarding the ethnicity of their employees so that there is a perception of fairness for all groups of people. It has been said to involve both “opportunity” and “frustration” (Monroe, 1991). Affirmative action has had varying effects throughout its history, and the lessons learned from its successes and failures can be applied to current society and culture to work toward a more peaceful world. Affirmative action was the offspring of Executive Order 10925. It stated that “PREMENDING that discrimination due to race, creed, color, or national origin is contrary to the constitutional principles and policies of the United States” (Executive Order 10925, 1961) . Those affected by these new laws believed in a “fair share of the crumbs of a shrinking economic pie, blacks should focus their energies on making the pie large enough to ensure a slice for everyone (Monroe, 1991). This practice was met with opposition from many quarters, especially in the American South, where racism was still part of everyday life. A conflict has escalated to the center of the newspaper. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/columnist/klein/article/0,9565,1568439,00.htmlMiller Center of Public Affairs. Race versus class: The future of affirmative action. Retrieved from http://fora.tv/2009/04/16/Race_vs_Class_The_Future_of_Affirmative_ActionMonroe, S. (!991). Does affirmative action help or hurt? Time magazine. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,973025,00.htmlPowell, C. L. (1995). My American trip. Random House.Stlawu.com. NAACP March for Affirmative Action. Retrieved from http://it.stlawu.edu/~quack/pics/supremecourt28.jpg Supreme Court of the United States. (2008) Ricci v. DeStefano (Transcripts of oral arguments). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. United States Supreme Court. (2008) Ricci v. DeStafano (Program). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.