I did not like reading this and won’t defend it on a general basis. It suffers from the same problem that undermines all identity related political efforts: a failure to acknowledge the integral role of capital disparities in every area of our lives.
It’s tough, and somewhat pointless, to debate the effects of affirmative action unless it can be isolated from the circumstances it seeks to defeat. We have by and large failed to accomplish that.
Isolating the maps of our societal relations (culture, tradition, economy, geography) is incredibly difficult, until we can offer equal opportunities in life, we will be fools to expect equal outcomes in particular segments.
Let us be humble and consider that Democrats are equally challenged in these considerations.