Words: McCain generally supports civil rights and supports affirmative action for specific programs, but without quotas. He is also a long-time advocate Native American rights. “Better to suffer for a good cause than live safely without one. (more…)

Words: Obama strongly supports equal rights and opportunities regardless of race, gender, or physical ability. “There is not a black American and white American and Latino America and Asian American - there is the United States of America. (more…)

Words: Romney feels that civil rights should be enforced through companies and government agencies submitting annual reports on minority employees and allowing the market to enforce nondiscrimination. “If we are to compete as a nation, we’ve got to draw on the skills (more…)

Words: Biden supports affirmative action. “We should remind everybody that the day before a black child, a minority child, steps into the classroom, half the achievement gap already exists. The moment they walk into that school, they are already behind.” (more…)

Words: Clinton fully supports equal rights, equal opportunity, and affirmative action. “It is abundantly clear that race and racism are defining challenges not only in the United States but around the world. And for anyone to assert that race is not a problem in America (more…)

Words: Edwards is a firm believer in equal opportunity. He supports women’s economic rights and affirmative action for all minorities. “Equality is one of the abiding principles on which America is based; we need to make it an active principle, not a passive one. (more…)

Words: Giuliani avoids speaking about equal rights for minorities, but has claimed to support affirmative action.

Actions: As mayor of New York (more…)

Words: Huckabee opposes affirmative action for state contracts, public employment, and colleges.

Actions: No record. (more…)

Words: Kucinich supports affirmative action and reparations for slavery in the form of social programs. “The institution of slavery created a breach in our society, which still remains today. … I believe a broad based program of social and economic reforms (more…)

Words: Paul is an advocate of equal rights, but opposes affirmative action. “The problem is that… we see people as groups and that they derive their rights as belonging to those groups. We don’t get our rights because we’re gays or women or minorities. (more…)

Words: Richardson fully supports equal rights and opportunities, as well as affirmative action. “Race is not just passing new laws. Race is not just naming solid Supreme Court justices. Race is also dealing with bigotry and racism that exists in this country. (more…)

Words: Thompson is vague on civil rights and neither supports not opposes affirmative action.

Actions: Thompson voted AGAINST banning affirmative action (more…)