What is the history of Equity & Affirmative Action at the national level?
Affirmative action began in 1965 with the Executive Order of President Lyndon B. Johnson. He stated that the United States needed to move beyond the passive non-discrimination laws that had already been enacted. Johnson also stated that companies needed to go further to guarantee that minorities and women were recruited in ways that improved their opportunities to be hired and move up in their jobs. President Richard M. Nixon implemented goals and timetables to expand the affirmative action executive order. These goals and timetables provided specific guidelines for companies to use so that they would be in compliance with the federal regulations concerning affirmative action. While Gerald R. Ford was the President, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974 were enacted. These acts guaranteed that federal contractors had affirmative action programs established for recruiting and hiring people with disabilities and Vietnam veterans. The Age Dis
