Following Tuesday's deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, some Republican officials, candidates and right-wing pundits attempted to connect the tragedy to some of their most frequent political targets: diversity initiatives, illegal immigration, coronavirus lockdowns and the Biden administration.
Conservative political candidates and right-wing media personalities have turned to blaming diversity, equity and inclusion policies a loosely defined term broadly used to refer to efforts to diversify the workforce and academia - for the collapse. It's the latest in a series of issues that the right has blamed on DEI.And to answer to such prejudicial drivel is the mayor of Baltimore:
Baltimore Mayor Taunts Right-Wing Trolls With Brutally Honest New 'DEI' Definition'This man is going places in the future.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott provided a new meaning for the acronym "DEI" after conservative critics linked him to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in response to the deadly Francis Scott Key bridge collapse.
"I know and we know and you know very well that Black men, and young Black men in particular, have been the bogeyman for those who are racist and think that only straight, wealthy white men should have a say in anything," said Scott.
He continued, "We've been the bogeyman for them since the first day they brought us to this country and what they mean by DEI' in my opinion is 'duly elected incumbent'."
Scott was elected with "70% of the vote" back in 2020 by a city with a predominantly Black population.
"So by right-wing logic, a diversity hire,' would have been a white man," Reid said.
Scott later told Reid that he knows what those critics "want to say."
"But they don't have the courage to say the N-word and the fact that I don't believe in their untruthful and wrong ideology and I am very proud of my heritage and who I am and where I come from, scares them," Scott said.
He continued, "Because me being at my position means that their way of thinking, their way of life of being comfortable while everyone else suffers is going to be at risk and they should be afraid because that's my purpose in life."
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