"Significant, pervasive inequality is comfortably preserved by systems where the dominant group is in power," he said. Wasserstrom's second premise was that the system of racial disadvantage will perpetuate itself unless black Americans gain greater representation and positions of authority in our important social institutions.
He proposed that the audience join him in a thought experiment: Knowing what you know now about American society, if you could choose to come into the world as a black person or as a white person, which would be the more rational choice in order to give yourself the best opportunities and the best chance to achieve your life goals? Wasserstrom said he believed that most people would know that being white rather than black would tend to give you many more advantages in life, and this brings into focus what he called "our system of pervasive and regular racial disadvantage." He acknowledged that opponents of affirmative action programs generally concede this fact as well, though they argue that the situation is much improved today and that affirmative action has not played a role in this improvement. The first premise put forth by Wasserstrom was that race is still a significant factor in our society and that black Americans are at a significant disadvantage in opportunities and treatment. He distinguished these programs from other programs that are sometimes referred to as "affirmative action" that only ensure equal information and treatment for all applicants, and which can be considered "color blind." Wasserstrom also explained that in his lecture he would be focusing specifically on programs which give preference to black people over white people, but that his argument is also applicable to programs that give preference based on other characteristics. Wasserstrom began by explaining what he meant by "programs of preferential treatment based on race." In his discussion, he said, he would be referring to programs that take explicit account of the race of individuals applying for admission or employment, and which treat race as a relevant, though not decisive, criteria for acceptance. Werner, who studied with Wasserstrom in the 1970s, called him "one of my heroes," and said that he is not only a great philosopher but an activist and advocate for his beliefs. Wasserstrom was introduced by Richard Werner, the John Stewart Kennedy Professor of Philosophy at Hamilton.
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