Action Quote by Cornel West
“The problem is that affirmative action could never really get at the issue of corporate power in the workplace, and so you ended up with the downsizing; you ended up with de-industrializing. You ended up with the marginalizing of working people and working poor people even while affirmative action was taking place, and a new black middle class was expanding.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Interview on Economic Inequality, 2015
Affirmative action fails to address corporate power, leading to job loss and widening inequality despite a growing black middle class.
In simple terms: Affirmative action doesn't fix corporate dominance, causing more job cuts and inequality.
Key Takeaway
Address corporate power directly to protect workers.
Themes
inequality
economic power
affirmative action
class disparity
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
political
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- union organizing
- corporate governance
- community advocacy
Key Concepts
structural inequality
policy effectiveness
labor market dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can policy target corporate power?
- What alternatives protect working people?
A Different Perspective
Affirmative action alone cannot restructure corporate hierarchies.
![“In those days [1955], affirmative action was for whites only. I might still be working for the grocery store in the small Texas town where I grew up were it not for affirmative action for Southern white boys.” quote by Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/23f/bill-moyers-2625_action_in-those-days-1955-affirmative-action-wa_1982418.jpg)
![“You can't really move forward until you look back. [From Remaking America panel discussion at George Washington University]” quote by Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/273/cornel-west-708_george-w_you-can-t-really-move-forward-until-you_37313.jpg)
