Is affirmative action fair?

If a history of discrimination has made it difficult for certain Americans to meet standards, it is only fair to provide temporary means to help them catch up and compete on equal terms.

...my daughters should probably be treated by any admissions officer as folks who are pretty advantaged... [and] we should take into account white kids who have been disadvantaged.... [but] I think what we can say is that in our society race and class still intersect... I would like to think that ...affirmative action becomes a diminishing tool for us to achieve racial equality in this society.