Affirmative Action's Fight Against Racism and Sexism Contrary to popular opinion, affirmative action does not only function for the benefit of blacks, but other minorities and women. Affiramtive action is a policy born in the civil rights era about three decades ago. Currently, affirmative action has been in the hot seat for Florida at the hands of Jeb Bush. A lot of critics feel that it is an unfair policy in that it is creating the very same thing that it is supposed to be preventing. The truth of the matter is, if things were equal, as they should be, we wouldn't need acts like this at all, But because they aren't, affirmative action is n