Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida continues to make headlines for staking out controversial positions at the heart of the culture wars. Most recently, he issued a ban on "critical race theory" and "equity, diversity, and inclusion" in Florida's primary and secondary education systems, defunding DEI in all of Florida's public schools.
He's on to something. Today's DEI is a big grift that grafts advocacy for sexual preferences and illegal immigrants onto the outstanding obligations due to the descendants of U.S. slaves. Under the guise of representing Black Americans, DEI subordinates our interests to the aims of new, sometimes manufactured victim groups.
It's time to say that DEI must die—and the Black mis-leadership that depends upon it can go down with it.
Everybody knows that DEI gets its moral authority from the participation of Black leaders who are funded by white liberals—a group of people who found a way to make themselves "minorities" based on lifestyle choices. This conflict of interest ensures Black political leaders are unable to do their actual job of delivering for Black Americans—because they are too afraid to lose sponsorship from white DEI powerbrokers.
Where is this happening, you ask? Watch how New York City Mayor Eric Adams, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and newly elected Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have served as cheerleaders for President Biden's border crisis, even as resources are diverted from their Black constituents.
We see more Black mis-leadership in how the Congressional Black Caucus wasted four years disrespecting President Donald Trump instead of working with the leader of the free world to deliver on the economic and political interests of Black Americans. The CBC is a cohort of Black officials charged with using their tenure in Congress to represent and fulfill Black Americans' political interests, though it's probably hard to tell, considering they consistently advocate for illegal aliens and everything else.
This same mission drift is happening in historical Black organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Legacy organizations have sold out to the immigration lobby and one-sided Pan-Africanism instead of securing the domestic interests of the descendants of U.S. slaves. Thus, the president of the NAACP advocated for descendants of U.S. slaves to forgive African slave traders and serve as an economic base for Africa rather than advising Black Americans to lean into our Americanness.
What kind of leadership tells Black Americans to build a third-world continent rather than reclaim our protected class status in the first-world country where we have multiple generations of sweat and blood equity?
But it's classic misleader speak to tell Black Americans to feel more kinship with random "brown" people instead of holding our country and new arrivals accountable to our human rights legacy and socioeconomic agenda.
It's an open secret that singing in the DEI choir and seeing your destiny as part of the "Black-and-brown coalition" helps foreigners legitimize their political aims—but never ours.
It's time to acknowledge that the DEI industry is selling us out to an intersectional coalition that demands Black elected officials kiss the ring of migrants, the LGBTQIA+, and various other "people of color" while giving nothing in return for our community. For us to get anything as Black Americans, we have to get our political agenda approved by illegal aliens, sexual minorities, and new Americans.
Make that make sense! Such submissiveness is beneath the dignity of the legacy of our ancestors.
Meanwhile, leftists of all shades fail to condemn their own complicity in Black American servility. And why would they? It's been working in their favor to promise us nothing and deliver even less.
The weakened political position of Black Americans is the fault of Black leaders who worship "diversity" interests first and foremost. For example, of the 56 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, two dozen represent predominately Black districts, but every single Black House member voted against H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, which passed the House along party lines. Those elected officials must break from the grips of white-led DEI and the global citizenship narrative of Black leftists.
It's time to take over predominately Black districts by electing pro-Black and America First candidates—in the vein of Republican Thaddeus Stevens and Democrat Barbara Jordan.
And rather than turning the other cheek, Black Americans need to accept that it is never too soon to recall a mayor or governor who isn't useful to us.
Today's diversity, equity and inclusion is not a religion Black Americans should practice. The current DEI agenda amounts to replacement, more divestment, and political undermining—all done in the guise of good vibes.
It's time Black Americans call the nation back into fulfilling the original intent of the Civil Rights Movement. Our moral authority and our human rights legacy must be leveraged toward our self-interests.
Don't let anyone convince you otherwise.
Pamela Denise Long is CEO of Youthcentrix® Therapy Services, a business focused on helping organizations implement trauma-informed practices and diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism (DEIA) at the systems level. Connect with Ms. Long online at www.youthcentrix.com or @PDeniseLong on social media.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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