My $0.02 worth:
Any bias against any group simply because of ethnicity, geography, biology, sexuality, etc., is due entirely to ignorance and misinformation. Your typical bigot, be he KKK, neo-Nazi, or simply an overly zealous Southern Baptist who believes that women are inferior, is not necessarily stupid, but is definitely ignorant of the truth. Frequently, they have been fed lies since childhood by people whose minds were similarly poisoned. Bigotry is, in fact, very similar to a hereditary disease, as it is most often simply passed from one generation to the next. It is for this reason that I pity bigots, and hope that some day someone will dismantle their delusional world and help them to see the light of reality. Every group has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it is these differences that make America strong.
Keeping this in mind, I'd like to point out that, so long as affirmative action programs remain in place as is, they will simply reinforce for both bigot and minority the stereotypes they are designed to fight. Affirmative action should not be based on group, but on the things that could actually affect someone's opportunities, such as coming from a poorly-funded school. I see immense progress in that some members of minority groups use derogatory terms for their group as a term of endearment. This shows that the hate of the past is being left behind, along with the fear of obsolete words.
P.S., I have nothing against Baptists or religious people in general, I just don't like certain Baptist groups' policy that women should submit to their husbands as subordinates or inferior.