A conservative push to end affirmative action.

With Barack Obama officially nominated as the Democrat's presidential nominee, is it time to re-think affirmative action? NOW ON PBS looks at some state ballot measures that would eliminate race or gender considerations in public hiring, contracting and education programs. The controversial initiatives are being spearheaded by Ward Connerly, a long-time affirmative action opponent who some are accusing of ballot fraud. NOW also posed the question to leading thinkers at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

"I think that in some quarters, many parts of the country, a white male is really disadvantaged," Connerly, who considers himself multi-racial, tells NOW. "Because we have developed this notion of women and minorities being so disadvantaged and we have to help them, that we have, in many cases, twisted the thing so that it's no longer a case of equal opportunity. It's a case of putting a fist on the scale."

On the NOW ON PBS Web site (www.pbs.org/now ), two experts take opposing views on what's next for affirmative action. Also, view the latest statistics on income, health and education levels among Americans of different races and see where the presidential candidates stand on the issue.