The Affirmative Action Myth

“This could be the definitive book shattering the myth… A damning indictment of liberal public policy—and of modern black leadership.”—NY Post

“A graceful and powerful writer. In The Affirmative Action Myth, he marshals a tremendous number of statistics in support of historical and cultural research to prove his thesis.”—Chronicles

“Excellent…a timely and well-written book that contains an abundance of common sense, solid arguments, and carefully researched historical data. One can only hope that it is widely read and provokes a long-overdue change in direction in the area of civil rights and race relations.”—Law & Liberty

“Important and timely.” —Commentary Magazine

“From his position of earned eminence among commentators on today’s intersection of culture and politics, Jason L. Riley dissects the false promises and actual damages of race-based policies. His book validates Chief Justice John Roberts’s acerbic words: ‘It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race.’”—George F. Will, syndicated columnist

“Riley’s The Affirmative Action Myth is a clear, concise, and humane account of the perverse consequences of race-conscious policies. He calmly and judiciously demolishes the many myths and distortions that sustain the affirmative action empire. He exposes the relentless pessimism behind racial preferences and points to a respectful, tried-and-true alternative. Proponents of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) have acted as if they occupied a moral high ground. Riley turns this around—he is the true ‘racial progressive’ we need.”—Christina Hoff Sommers, senior fellow emeritus, American Enterprise Institute

“The Affirmative Action Myth comes along at a critical time to make an important point. Black Americans don’t need racial preferences. We did pretty well before they existed. Meritocracy is the best way to build a successful nation, and Riley makes the case for it.”—Wilfred Reilly, author of Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me