Who does and doesn't benefit from Affirmative Action?

After searching Google with about 20 different variations of "who benefits from Affirmative Action in Oklahoma" I was unable to find any direct statistics of the people who do and do not benefit from Affirmative Action. However, here are some national statistics.

Women:

A government study showed that women made greater gains in employment at companies doing business with the federal government, and therefore subject to federal affirmative action requirements, than at other companies.

•  Female employment rose 15.2% at federal contractors, and only 2.2% elsewhere.
• The same study showed that federal contractors employed women at higher levels and in better paying jobs than other firms.

Many individual companies that have adopted affirmative action plans have demonstrated the impact on women.

• After IBM set up its affirmative action program, its number of female officials and managers more than tripled in less than ten years.
•  Corporate commitment to women and minorities enabled Corning to double its number of female and black employees and increase the proportion of women managers to 29%.
•  Motorola has been rewarded with an increased representation of women and people of color in upper-level management. The company had two women and six persons of color as vice president in 1989, but boasts 33 female and 40 minority vice presidents today.
•  In 1978, the Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP) reviewed the employment practices of the five largest banks in Cleveland. Three years later, the percentage of women officials and managers at these institutions had risen more than 20%.
• When OFCCP first looked at the coal mining industry in 1973, there were no women coal miners. By 1980, 8.7% were women.
• Litigation against police and fire departments has resulted in affirmative action plans that have produced dramatic increases in the employment of women (and minorities) in these fields as well. In 1983, for example, women made up 9.4% of the nation's police, and 1% of firefighters. Sixteen years later, women are 16.9% of police, and 2.8% of firefighters.

Women-owned businesses, which have also benefited from affirmative action requirements, have increased since 1987 by 103%.

• Today, there are nearly 9.1 million woman-owned businesses, employing over 27.5 million people. 

Source: http://www.nwlc.org/

Blacks:

Progress of African Americans: 1959-1993

Poverty   Unempl.   Median   Percent of

Year   Rate      Rate      Income   white median

--------------------------------------------------

1959    55.1%      NA     $5,998      44.6%

1960     NA      10.2%     6,200      47.0

1961     NA        NA      6,525      48.6

1962     NA        NA      6,814      49.4

1963     NA        NA      7,423      53.7

1964     NA        NA      7,929      56.2

1965     NA        NA      8,155      55.4

1966    41.8      7.3      8,837      60.0

1967    39.3      7.4      9,443      62.9

1968    34.7      6.7      9,918      63.2

1969    32.2      6.4     10,430      65.8

1970    33.5      8.2     10,858      69.1

1971    32.5      9.9     10,632      67.4

1972    33.3     10.0     11,399      69.3

1973    31.4      8.9     11,555      70.1

1974    30.3      9.9     10,797      68.1

1975    31.3     14.8     10,693      68.9

1976    31.1     13.1     10,983      70.3

1977    31.3     13.1     11,059      70.2

1978    30.6     11.9     10,908      70.3

1979    31.0     11.3     10,783      71.8

1980    32.5     14.3     10,520      71.0

1981    34.2     14.2     10,367      70.7

1982    35.6     18.9     10,372      70.0

1983    35.7     19.5     10,283      68.2

1984    33.8     15.9     10,529      68.3

1985    31.3     15.1     10,882      69.3

1986    31.1     14.5     11,020      68.0

1987    32.4     13.0     11,425      69.5

1988    31.3     11.7     11,859      69.7

1989    30.7     11.4     12,052      69.7

1990    31.9     11.3     11,711      68.7

1991    32.7     12.4     11,471      68.8

1992    33.4     14.1     11,252      68.5

1993    33.1     12.9     11,614      70.7

(huppie.com)

During this period of about 40 years, African American living at or below the poverty line decreased from 55.1% to 33.1%.  In addition, median income more the doubled. Many of these increases are related to Affirmative Action in both education and the work force.

White Males:

Because affirmative action gives preference to women and minorities, it may harm white males' chances at success. This group makes up about 35% of the American population.(census.gov) Affirmative Action may harm them in a number of ways.

• White males may be laid off at work so the employer may fulfill the mandatory white-to-colored employee ratio
•  not accepted to a university due to preference towards other groups
•  not be given a job for the same reason.