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The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don't Need Racial Preferences to Succeed
From Wall Street Journal columnist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Jason L. Riley, a "clear, concise, and humane account" (Christina Hoff Sommers) of how racial preferences have done more harm than good for black Americans
After the Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the use of race in college admissions was unconstitutional, many predicted that the black middle class was doomed. One byproduct of a half century of affirmative action is that it has given people the impression that blacks can’t advance without special treatment. In The Affirmative Action Myth, Jason L. Riley details the neglected history of black achievement without government intervention. Using empirical data, Riley shows how black families lifted themselves out of poverty prior to the racial preference policies of the 1960s and 1970s.
Black incomes, homeownership, and educational attainment were all on the rise in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century and began to stagnate only after affirmative action became the law of the land, tainting black achievement with suspicions of unfair advantage. Countering thinkers who blame white supremacy and systemic racism for today’s racial gaps, Riley offers a more optimistic story of black success without racial favoritism.
After the Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that the use of race in college admissions was unconstitutional, many predicted that the black middle class was doomed. One byproduct of a half century of affirmative action is that it has given people the impression that blacks can’t advance without special treatment. In The Affirmative Action Myth, Jason L. Riley details the neglected history of black achievement without government intervention. Using empirical data, Riley shows how black families lifted themselves out of poverty prior to the racial preference policies of the 1960s and 1970s.
Black incomes, homeownership, and educational attainment were all on the rise in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century and began to stagnate only after affirmative action became the law of the land, tainting black achievement with suspicions of unfair advantage. Countering thinkers who blame white supremacy and systemic racism for today’s racial gaps, Riley offers a more optimistic story of black success without racial favoritism.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 15, 2025
My hat is off to Mr. Riley. As a black conservative, I found this book to be a breath of fresh air that put into words what some, a few, of us have been thinking and saying for some time. That the U.S. Affirmative Action policies put into place in the mid-1960s – 1970s have, in fact, done more to harm and damage the black community than to help, far more to harm.
“According to a 2022 Cato Institute calculation, federal and state anti-poverty spending since 1965 totaled more than $ 30 trillion.” Sixty years and $30 trillion, and as a whole, we are worse off than when this failed experiment started.
Unfortunately, many who should read this book and hear this position will not do so. Most educated black Americans, the so-called “intellectuals,” do not know who Mr. Riley is, and the majority of those who do consider him to be an Uncle Tom, a la Thomas Sowell. They spend their time making excuses for the lowest common denominators of our race and blaming white society for all our ills.
The American Affirmative Action machine, controlled by race hustlers and liberal/socialist politicians, has its hooks deep into Black America.
I applaud Mr. Riley for giving us “The Affirmative Action Myth”, in my opinion, the best in-depth, fact-based, data-driven critique of this issue that I have come across. Well done!
“According to a 2022 Cato Institute calculation, federal and state anti-poverty spending since 1965 totaled more than $ 30 trillion.” Sixty years and $30 trillion, and as a whole, we are worse off than when this failed experiment started.
Unfortunately, many who should read this book and hear this position will not do so. Most educated black Americans, the so-called “intellectuals,” do not know who Mr. Riley is, and the majority of those who do consider him to be an Uncle Tom, a la Thomas Sowell. They spend their time making excuses for the lowest common denominators of our race and blaming white society for all our ills.
The American Affirmative Action machine, controlled by race hustlers and liberal/socialist politicians, has its hooks deep into Black America.
I applaud Mr. Riley for giving us “The Affirmative Action Myth”, in my opinion, the best in-depth, fact-based, data-driven critique of this issue that I have come across. Well done!
November 1, 2025
Fascinating look through the lens of history and data. I learned a lot and ultimately concluded that had we not implemented affirmative action and all the major social welfare programs, the black population would be exceeding us all. It is absolutely incredible the progress they made post-slavery and segregation. A truly incredible people! It’s awful what those who wanted to artificially import diversity did. Truly a tragedy with unending negative consequences for so many. Jason Riley is such an important voice right now.
October 30, 2025
The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don't Need Racial Preferences to Succeed by Jason L. Riley presents arguments showing that blacks not only don't need affirmative action to succeed, but that they are often harmed by such actions. This assertion is supported by numerous statistics and case studies that Riley cites, dispelling claims that affirmative action is responsible for recent gains of African Americans in education, employment, and housing.
Riley opens the book by discussing how African Americans originally were encouraged to adopt positive behavioral attitudes in the period after World War I, calling it respectability politics. He then discusses the history of affirmative action, followed by a chapter on black progress in the years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and then a discussion of reparations. He concludes with observations of the effects of affirmative action and the Great Society, supported by numerous statistics and studies.
Early in the book Riley notes that affirmative action was never required by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the first place, and that it only outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin when it came to employment, education, and accommodations. Only later on did the courts and government bureaucracies interpret the law to mandate affirmative action programs. A lot of attention is given to affirmative action in college admissions in the book, where it is argued that admitting students with inferior credentials to schools actually harms them because they often drop out or change their studies to less challenging curriculums. The author also presents data that shows that African Americans were making larger gains in social status before affirmative action became the norm in employment and education. And the negative effects of creating a permanent welfare state in the name of poverty reduction is addressed.
One omission that could have been explored are the effects of hiring and promoting people for affirmative action or DEI purposes on the workplace, where unqualified workers and managers can seriously degrade organizational performance. Maybe there isn't much data on this, but I can vouch for the existence of poor performance by affirmative action beneficiaries based on personal observations. Some of the book's statistics may also be misleading, because as everyone knows, statistics can be presented in different ways to show different things.
Overall, this book makes a compelling case for the elimination of affirmative action or DEI, at least for minorities. Similar arguments could probably be made for not allowing it on the basis of religion, sex, and national origin as well.
Riley opens the book by discussing how African Americans originally were encouraged to adopt positive behavioral attitudes in the period after World War I, calling it respectability politics. He then discusses the history of affirmative action, followed by a chapter on black progress in the years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and then a discussion of reparations. He concludes with observations of the effects of affirmative action and the Great Society, supported by numerous statistics and studies.
Early in the book Riley notes that affirmative action was never required by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the first place, and that it only outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin when it came to employment, education, and accommodations. Only later on did the courts and government bureaucracies interpret the law to mandate affirmative action programs. A lot of attention is given to affirmative action in college admissions in the book, where it is argued that admitting students with inferior credentials to schools actually harms them because they often drop out or change their studies to less challenging curriculums. The author also presents data that shows that African Americans were making larger gains in social status before affirmative action became the norm in employment and education. And the negative effects of creating a permanent welfare state in the name of poverty reduction is addressed.
One omission that could have been explored are the effects of hiring and promoting people for affirmative action or DEI purposes on the workplace, where unqualified workers and managers can seriously degrade organizational performance. Maybe there isn't much data on this, but I can vouch for the existence of poor performance by affirmative action beneficiaries based on personal observations. Some of the book's statistics may also be misleading, because as everyone knows, statistics can be presented in different ways to show different things.
Overall, this book makes a compelling case for the elimination of affirmative action or DEI, at least for minorities. Similar arguments could probably be made for not allowing it on the basis of religion, sex, and national origin as well.
July 15, 2025
Jason L. Riley’s 2025 book, The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don’t Need Racial Preferences to Succeed, isn’t just a book—it's a mirror. Riley challenges the prevailing narrative that racial preferences are essential for the advancement of Black people. Drawing on historical data and economic trends, Riley argues that Black Americans made significantly more progress before affirmative action policies were introduced in the 1960s and 1970s.
As I read this book, I found myself reliving my own story as an 18-year-old deciding where to attend college. I was rejected from NC State University based on my SAT scores. Rightfully so. I wasn't academically prepared. But one phone call from my guidance counselor—likely referencing my race—got me in. That decision derailed my dream of attending medical school. I walked into classrooms filled with better-prepared students and quickly fell behind. My GPA dropped. My confidence shattered. Most of my Black classmates didn't graduate.
Riley's writing is clear: "Affirmative action may feel good, but it often sets students up for failure by mismatching them with institutions." That quote could've been my yearbook caption. I ignored a respected HBCU that offered me acceptance based on merit and preparation. Instead, I chased prestige and landed in a system that prioritized diversity optics over readiness.
The liberal playbook of affirmative action, welfare expansion, and lenient crime laws has harmed rather than helped the Black community. "Some individuals may get jobs they would not get otherwise, but many black students who are quite capable of getting a good college education are admitted, under racial quotas, to institutions whose pace alone is enough to make it unlikely that they will graduate."
• "Affirmative action may feel good, but it often sets students up for failure by mismatching them with institutions.
• Welfare policies weaken family structures, especially by displacing fathers and discouraging work.
• Political gains have NOT translated into economic advancement—economic self-sufficiency must come first. I often hear black mayors of major US cities brag about their skin color, but seldom mention meaningful KPI's from their failing cities, regarding crime, education, jobs, and affordability. "Having a black man in the Oval Office is less important than having one in the home."
If you're a high school student choosing your path—or someone guiding them—read this book. Let it challenge your assumptions. Let it shape your decisions. And maybe, just maybe, let it help you become the person I once dreamed of being: Dr. Styron Powers.
As I read this book, I found myself reliving my own story as an 18-year-old deciding where to attend college. I was rejected from NC State University based on my SAT scores. Rightfully so. I wasn't academically prepared. But one phone call from my guidance counselor—likely referencing my race—got me in. That decision derailed my dream of attending medical school. I walked into classrooms filled with better-prepared students and quickly fell behind. My GPA dropped. My confidence shattered. Most of my Black classmates didn't graduate.
Riley's writing is clear: "Affirmative action may feel good, but it often sets students up for failure by mismatching them with institutions." That quote could've been my yearbook caption. I ignored a respected HBCU that offered me acceptance based on merit and preparation. Instead, I chased prestige and landed in a system that prioritized diversity optics over readiness.
The liberal playbook of affirmative action, welfare expansion, and lenient crime laws has harmed rather than helped the Black community. "Some individuals may get jobs they would not get otherwise, but many black students who are quite capable of getting a good college education are admitted, under racial quotas, to institutions whose pace alone is enough to make it unlikely that they will graduate."
• "Affirmative action may feel good, but it often sets students up for failure by mismatching them with institutions.
• Welfare policies weaken family structures, especially by displacing fathers and discouraging work.
• Political gains have NOT translated into economic advancement—economic self-sufficiency must come first. I often hear black mayors of major US cities brag about their skin color, but seldom mention meaningful KPI's from their failing cities, regarding crime, education, jobs, and affordability. "Having a black man in the Oval Office is less important than having one in the home."
If you're a high school student choosing your path—or someone guiding them—read this book. Let it challenge your assumptions. Let it shape your decisions. And maybe, just maybe, let it help you become the person I once dreamed of being: Dr. Styron Powers.
April 2, 2025
I am a regular reader of Mr Riley's Wall Street Journal column which I wait eagerly for each week. I really appreciated this well documented, clear discussion on the effect of governmental actions on the "upward mobility" of black families from 1970 to present.
The author presents extensive evidence on how the upward trajectory of blacks, socially and economically, between 1940 and 1970 took a drastic downward direction because of the way the government interpreted desegregation, welfare policies and "affirmative action" at colleges and the workplace.
He backs up his findings with hundreds of references to other authors, commentators, social scientists, and economists. There are 26 pages of reference footnotes.
I would urge everyone to read this excellent book.
I obtained an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.
The author presents extensive evidence on how the upward trajectory of blacks, socially and economically, between 1940 and 1970 took a drastic downward direction because of the way the government interpreted desegregation, welfare policies and "affirmative action" at colleges and the workplace.
He backs up his findings with hundreds of references to other authors, commentators, social scientists, and economists. There are 26 pages of reference footnotes.
I would urge everyone to read this excellent book.
I obtained an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.
May 6, 2025
The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don't Need Racial Preferences to Succeed by Jason L Riley, takes the reader through the history of Affirmative Action law and polices and how they evolved from the goal of providing opportunities for African Americans, to justifying specific representation quotas for this group and the harmful effects of these quotas.
The narration by James Shippy of tis potentially dry topic keeps the user engaged, allowing me to complete the book in one sitting.
Thank you to Hachette Audio | Basic Books for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. All opinions are my own.
Audiobook Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: May 06 2025
Tags:
#HachetteBooks
#BasicBooks
#TheAffirmativeActionMyth
#JasonLRiley
#History
#AffirmativeAction
#YarisBookNook
#netgalley
The narration by James Shippy of tis potentially dry topic keeps the user engaged, allowing me to complete the book in one sitting.
Thank you to Hachette Audio | Basic Books for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. All opinions are my own.
Audiobook Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: May 06 2025
Tags:
#HachetteBooks
#BasicBooks
#TheAffirmativeActionMyth
#JasonLRiley
#History
#AffirmativeAction
#YarisBookNook
#netgalley
June 11, 2025
Excellent analysis with emphasis on the data and the facts, and not on the political myths.
I had read, "Please Stop Helping Us," and enjoyed that very much. That is why I wanted to read this book too. It is interesting that those with a racial agenda do so with the goal of keeping blacks and minorities down and to assure their continued reliance on the government, rather than actually trying to help them succeed by not interfering in their lives, and by refraining from telling them what, in their opinions, is holding them back. Thus is today's Democrat party.
I had read, "Please Stop Helping Us," and enjoyed that very much. That is why I wanted to read this book too. It is interesting that those with a racial agenda do so with the goal of keeping blacks and minorities down and to assure their continued reliance on the government, rather than actually trying to help them succeed by not interfering in their lives, and by refraining from telling them what, in their opinions, is holding them back. Thus is today's Democrat party.
May 10, 2025
It's Jason Riley ... #iykyk. I don't know if Riley would consider this a compliment, but he has clearly been influenced by Thomas Sowell, the subject of his book, MAVERICK. Riley, like Sowell, makes his case clearly and logically and uses data (as a plural noun!) to buttress his arguments. He pulls no punches. Don't let others get too close a look at the text - you'll be cancelled!
May 20, 2025
Must read for anyone who is interested in the current state of the world !
August 18, 2025
A very good book on the affirmative action debate.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews