An interesting study by Bill Domhoff of UC Santa Cruz and Richard L. Zweigenhaft of Guilford College in North Carolina has found that white women have benefited the most from affirmative action.
The study first published in December 2013 found from 2000 until January 2014 the number of white women CEOs in Fortune 500 companies has increased six times from 4 to 23. At the same time, CEOs of color seem to have peaked in 2007 and since then has declined.
The number of African American CEOs has decreased from its peak of 7 in 2007 to six in January 2014. Latinos peaked in 2008 at 13 and has declined to 10. Asian Americans went from 15 to 10.
The percentage of directors who are people of color is a bit better.
In 2011, 74.4 percent were white males, 13.3 percent white female, 6.8% African American, 3.1% Latino and 2.4% Asian American. Asian Americans are underrepresented by a factor of .43. Latinos by .19. African American men are underrepresented by a factor of .82 vs .21 for women. White males on the other hand were overrepresented by a factor of 2.0. White women were underrepresented by a factor of .35.
Overall, the picture of diversity in corporate America is shrinking.
You can read a complete analysis of the findings in Who Rules America.