Americans are closely divided over the need for continued affirmative action programs now the country has elected its first African-American president.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of adults say affirmative action is still relevant, but 41% disagree in a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twenty-one percent (21%) are not sure.

Last August, prior to the election of Barack Obama as president, 46% of Americans said affirmative action programs were no longer needed,

Forty-nine percent (49%), however, believe that designating February as Black History Month should be continued. Thirty-seven percent (37%) say it should be ended, and 14% are undecided.

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Some prominent African-Americans have called for an end to Black History Month, arguing that their history should be part of the year-round study of U.S. history. “The commemoration is a damaging form of apartheid,” wrote Pulitzer Prize-winner Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The nation of Tiger Woods, Oprah and Barack Obama no longer needs a Black History Month."

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Republicans say Black History Month should be eliminated, but 69% of Democrats believe it should be continued. Adults not affiliated with either major party oppose elimination of Black History Month by a 47% to 34% margin.

While whites are evenly divided on the issue, 89% of African-Americans are opposed to ending Black History Month.

Sixty-nine percent (69%) of blacks also say affirmative action is still relevant. Just 33% of whites agree, while the plurality (46%) do not.

A program dating from the 1960s to redress historic racial bias, affirmative action is now seen by many white voters as mandated quotas based on special treatment or even reverse bias. But for many minority voters, opposition to affirmative action is viewed as racism.

Voters in Nebraska this past November approved an anti-affirmative action initiative, but a similar measure was narrowly defeated in Colorado. Both initiatives – prohibiting preferential treatment for minorities in government hiring and college enrollment - were promoted by African-American anti-affirmative action activist Ward Connerly. He has championed similar successful measures in California, Washington and Michigan.

Forty-two percent (42%) of women say affirmative action is still relevant, compared to 34% of men.Democrats are far more supportive of it than Republicans adults not affiliated with either major party. Fifty-four percent (54%) of Democrats say affirmative action is still relevant, while 58% of Republicans say it is not. Unaffiliateds by 14 points see the government policy as no longer relevant.

In a survey last week, 69% of voters said U.S. society is generally fair and decent. Only 22% said it is generally unfair and discriminatory.

Most blacks (55%) now say society is fair and decent, up from 40% a month ago.

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