Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are the new buzzwords of the day, expressing our modern woke culture and society.
But for the next four years, DEI will DIE, but perhaps resurrect under a future Democrat administration.
DEI has “DIEd” since President Donald Trump has “shut down all DEI offices across the federal government.”
He accomplished this just hours after his inauguration by signing an executive order to eliminate these programs.
DEI should stand for “divisive, exclusionary, and intrusive.”
What does the woke American Psychological Association say about DEI? They are out of step with popular culture for using the term EDI rather than DEI.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is a conceptual framework that promotes the fair treatment and full participation of all people, especially populations that have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination because of their background, identity, disability, etc.
I prefer the acronym DIE because DEI policies could potentially place the wrong people in the wrong jobs, based on demographics and external factors rather than on merit and competence.
Potential areas where DEI could cause people to DIE include medicine and transportation, where poor outcomes follow poor decisions.
While DEI has been rigorously applied to educational admissions, military recruiting, corporate hiring, entertainment, and general career advancement, one area that seems immune to DEI considerations is professional sports.
Grok
Why do they get a pass? Why are athletes selected and judged based on CPA – competence, performance, and achievement – rather than “background, identity, disability, etc” as the psychological society recommends?
Let’s begin with diversity in America, focusing on the racial and ethnic breakdown of the U.S. population.
According to Data USA:
White 58%
Black 12%
Hispanic 18%
Asian 6%
The goal of diversity is to create groups that “look like America.”
This catchphrase is the gold standard for watchdogs like the New York Times, which use it in headlines describing President Joe Biden’s cabinet or American cities.
To “look like America,” the racial demographics of any group must align with the percentages mentioned above. This also includes gender diversity of half women and half men.
Let’s examine the New York Times corporate board of 13 members. There are 7 women and 6 men, a split that reflects the demographic makeup of America. Two of the 13 are Black, representing 15 percent, which meets that benchmark. However, there are no Asians or Hispanics, but instead, two Indians. The two former groups account for 24 percent of the American population, while Indian Americans represent only 1.6 percent.
The diversity at the New York Times resembles America in its corporate board, but it still falls short. I wondered if the New York Times editorial board “looks like America,” but that’s confidential.
I asked Grok and was told, “The New York Times does not publicly release a centralized directory with photos of its Editorial Board.” Perhaps they choose to avoid diversity scrutiny.
Let’s shift focus to professional sports.
Wikipedia provides a breakdown of the NBA. “In 2023 was composed of 70.4 percent black players, 17.5 percent white players, 2.2 percent Latino players of any race, and 0.2 percent Asian players.” This breakdown hardly “looks like America.”
This data was more challenging to locate for the NFL, but Sports Illustrated published the breakdown in 2017: black 57 percent, white 28 percent, and black/Asian 4 percent. Hispanics comprise only 25 of the 1,700 NFL players, just over 1 percent, far less than the 18 percent of the U.S. population. The NFL doesn’t “look like America,” either.
Major League Baseball fairly closely reflects America, with 58 percent white, 32 percent Hispanic, 8 percent black, and 3 percent Asian. It may not be perfect, but it is far better than either the NFL or NBA.
How about golf? The PGA does not resemble America, except at tony American country clubs. “The professional golfers on PGA Tour are overwhelmingly white, 80% white, actually, with only 11% of players having Asian backgrounds, 8% Latinx and 2% black.”
Television commercials don’t “look like America,” or the U.K. for that matter, either.
As published in Medium:
Today Black people represent 12% of the U.S. population but are featured in some 40% of television ads.
In the U.K., Black people are less than 3% of the population but are in 37% of the commercials.
In America, businesses in sports, media, or entertainment can operate as they wish. Consumers also have the freedom to choose what to read and watch or to seek alternatives.
I don’t begrudge professional sports teams for selecting and promoting the best athletes, regardless of external characteristics. But why don’t they practice what they preach?
Here is the NFL’s statement on diversity:
The NFL is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment that reflects our incredibly diverse fan base. We provide an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all employees and applicants without regard to ancestry, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. people from a diverse candidate pool.
By their own reasoning, NFL players should reflect the racial composition of America. Are there transgender men playing in the NFL, or women in general? How about the disabled? Why should someone in a wheelchair not be able to be an NFL wide receiver? Would that be absurd?
Why don’t professional sports receive a free pass on walking the DEI walk rather than just talking the DEI talk? Why don’t medical schools, air traffic control towers, airline cockpits, and the military have the same allowance to hire the most qualified for the job, just like professional sports teams do?
These DEI exceptions render the entire DEI concept a form of virtue signaling — empty words that government agencies enforce when they can, while exempting organizations where such rules are ludicrous. Is it not logical to want the best and most competent individuals in hospitals, operating rooms, and airplane cockpits?
How about following Martin Luther King, Jr.’s admonition to judge people by the content of their character (and abilities) rather than the color of their skin (or gender)? Let DEI finally DIE and rest in peace.
Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer. Follow me on Twitter @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brian’s Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph, LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph, and email brianjoondeph@gmail.com.
Jesus Christ is King
