President Johnson s Vision Of Creating A Great Society

Abstract Programs to stimulate growth of minority-owned businesses have existed in the United States since the late 1960s. President Johnson’s vision of creating a â€Å"Great Society† led to a host of endeavors that sought to change the political, social and economic landscape of the U.S. In his 1965 commencement address to graduates of Howard University, LBJ gave voice to his vision, declaring, â€Å"We seek not just freedom but opportunity. We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result.† There has been Executive Orders issued by the President of the United States throughout history to carry out and to promote minority-owned businesses: Keywords:†¦show more content†¦For the first time, EO 11246 charged the Secretary of Labor, a Cabinet–level official with strong enforcement authority, with the responsibility of ensuring equal opportunity for minorities in federal contractors’ recruitment, hiring, training and other employment practices. Until that time, such efforts had been in the hands of various Presidential committees. EO 11246 continued and reinforced the requirement that federal contractors not discriminate in employment and take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity based on race, color, religion, and national origin. Signed by President Johnson that early autumn Friday 50 years ago, EO 11246 became a key landmark in a series of federal actions aimed at ending racial, religious and ethnic discrimination, an effort that dated back to the anxious days before the U.S. was thrust into World War II. Today, Executive Order 11246, as amended and further strengthened over the years, remains a major safeguard, protecting the rights of workers employed by federal contractors—approximately one–fifth of the entire U.S. labor force—to remain free from discrimination on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin†¦and opening the doors of opportunity through its