A review of the development of minority business enterprises, from the Civil War to the present, shows that it was Republican President, Richard Nixon, who brought about some of the greatest gains. How is it that only thirty years ago both major parties agreed on the reasoning and need behind Affirmative Action policies, and only differed in the approach they took? This booklet, adapted from the author's Master's thesis, is an attempt at bringing the public discourse back to a place where we can look objectively at programs, goals, and methods and rationally discuss what race-based remedies are still required (if any), without the vitriol and animosity that has marked previous debates.
