Attacks on Baltimore's Mayor Are Just Racism in Disguise
What is motivating the backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts is so apparent it almost feels foolish to point out. But we do ourselves no favors if we can’t say the obvious.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is qualified for the job.
Photographer: Rob Carr/Getty Images
Something ugly is unfolding in the anti-DEI movement. More and more governors across the US have banned diversity, equity and inclusion from schools and other places serving the public places and using it as a bogeyman to justify government censorship in the classroom. High-profile critics such as billionaire hedge fund investor Bill Ackman and entrepreneur Elon Musk have called DEI “racist and illegal” and “immoral.”
Those on the political right who attack DEI have come up with their own version of the acronym: “Didn’t Earn It.” It’s the encapsulation of a false narrative that has long plagued diversity efforts — a narrative that people from underrepresented groups are generally unqualified, and that to get ahead, they require a thumb on the scale.