It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer - (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin;

If read like a “normal” person would, it would suggest that this hiring preference based upon race was illegal. However if you read it like a Supreme Court judge who was legislating from the bench in the 1970’s, it says the law was intended to advance African Americans and can be used to advance them. That creative interpretation has yet to be overturned.