DEI is one of the most polarizing topics today.
Some say it’s essential to strengthening America. Others are blaming it for causing disasters and death.
But what if both sides are missing the point?
Here are my unsolicited thoughts. 🧵1/
2/ In the past month, @realDonaldTrump has blamed DEI for making the LA fires worse and speculated that it caused the tragic collision of a military helicopter with an American Airlines flight.
Is DEI really to blame? Or has DEI just lost sight of what it was supposed to be?
3/ Jackie Robinson broke MLB’s color barrier — not because Branch Rickey wanted the Dodgers to have a Black player, but because he was elite.
He held a .313 career BA, scored 972 runs, and stole 200 bases.
That’s what DEI should be about — opening doors, not lowering the bar.
3/ Same with Althea Gibson. She was an elite talent, but Black players weren’t allowed in major tournaments.
She finally got a shot after a former champion, Alice Marble spoke out for her.
Once she stepped on the court? She dominated with 11 career Grand Slam titles. Merit won.
4/ But modern DEI isn’t just about removing barriers — it's about ideology.
A Maryland nurse named Brad McDowell was fired for questioning DEI on his personal social media.
Last I checked, the Hippocratic Oath says “First, do no harm” — not “First, administer DEI.”
5/ "Get the girl to check the numbers."
Before orbiting Earth, astronaut John Glenn insisted Katherine Johnson verify the math for his mission — not because she was Black or a woman, but because she was the best.
She didn’t need a quota. She needed a chance.
6/ Now compare that to what's happening in modern science.
It's now policy that NIH funds universities based on DEI hiring, and some schools even penalize candidates for saying they’ll “treat everyone the same."
That’s not inclusion — it's discrimination.
7/ The reality is DEI policies just don't work.
A Harvard Business Review study found most corporate DEI training doesn’t work — and in some cases, it actually worsens racial tensions.
Meanwhile, U.S. companies are spending $8 billion a year on it.
Where’s the return?
8/ Here’s the bottom line:
Removing barriers is good. Lowering standards is bad.
Jackie Robinson wasn’t handed a spot in the majors. He earned it.
That should be the model — not quotas, forced ideology, or rewriting history.
What do you think? 👇
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