DEI, the new racial slur used against Black professionals regardless of their qualifications

By: Sulayman Touray

Some folks see DEI efforts as just ticking boxes, not really helping anyone. Some even say Black folks are only getting jobs because of DEI, not because they're good at what they do. But the facts show something different: Whites are hired at a ratio of 50% or more than Blacks on average. These numbers persist even in cases where Black professionals are more qualified than their white counterparts.

Additionally, when white workers get senior jobs and fail, no one attributes their race for being the reason of their job hire nor failures. Strange enough, no one actually talks about white failure at jobs anywhere in America so the conversation never comes up unlike how Black performance does.

Take the mayor of Baltimore and the governor, for example. They've been targets of racism, with some calling them "DEI hacks" just because they're Black. But the truth is, they're doing amazing work. The mayor has been working hard to reduce crime in Baltimore, and the governor has been excellent at managing the repair of the Francis Scott Bridge among other things.

These leaders didn't secure their positions through DEI—they earned them through dedication and skill. Consider this: in Maryland's entire 246-year history, not a single Black person had been elected governor until now. It's the first time a Black individual has been appointed. After 246 years of exclusion, targeting them with racist DEI attacks is absurd. White men have been elected 246 times, regardless of qualifications or performance, so what was that called?

Labeling a Black person a "DEI hack" is essentially using a racial slur to undermine their capability. To racists, Blacks cannot achieve because they are Black, and so if they do, they must be DEI hacks right? Instead of outright admitting their bias against Black individuals in power, racists detract from their accomplishments by resorting to such derogatory terms. The word "DEI Hack" is just another form of racism, and a code word replacing what would be, the 'n'word.

Instead of bringing people together, DEI is being twisted to hurt Black workers. Qualified Black professionals who worked hard for their jobs are being targeted with mean comments based on racism. Some folks just can't accept that a Black person can be successful without help from DEI, even President Obama who's entire Presidential service went scandal free unlike Trump, was not above this type of racist targeting.

This kind of racism isn't just about being mean to someone's face. Calling a Black worker a "DEI hack" or saying they only got their job because they're Black is racism, plain and simple. Racism is historically rooted in America's history but it doesn't mean we have to continue accepting it.

To really make DEI work, we need to tackle this racism head-on. We've got to challenge unfair ideas, lift up Black voices, and hold racists accountable. The truth of the matter is, these individuals like the idea of winning the job 100% of the time and do not wish to compete with qualified Black individuals. For these types of racists, a Black person getting the job just 1 time out of their million is a DEI hack and intolerable. If only we could truly make diversity, equity, and inclusion a reality for everyone, some of these forms of racism among others would be finally conquered. We should not let the people who are getting the jobs 99.9% regardless of being qualified or not, kill DEI initiatives under the reasoning that an qualified Black individual getting hired just once is racist and unfair.