How White People Quickly Turned DEI into a Racist Slur

“Arose by any other name would smell as sweet,” Juliet said in Shakespeare’s play, describing her love for Romeo despite belonging to a family at odds with her own. When it comes to love, Juliet’s quote suggests that it doesn’t matter what someone’s family name is because you love them for their qualities. It wouldn’t matter if Romeo’s last name were Montague or Mahogany. Could the same be said of racist attitudes? A word or phrase becomes a slur because of derogatory associations. Meaning a racial slur by any other name would smell as rank because of the intention of someone using the word or phrase. If society prohibits the use of one racist slur, like the n-bomb, then you can be sure that other words will take their place to express the same sentiment.

For example, when a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday, racists were quick to accuse Brandon Scott, the city’s Black mayor, of being a DEI hire. One viral post, which showed a video of Scott responding to the tragedy, called him “Baltimore’s DEI mayor,” suggesting conditions are “going to get…much worse,” presumably under his leadership. This approach exposes the hairpulling over diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for what they are, an effort to limit opportunities for Black people. In all seriousness, how can a democratically elected mayor who won over 70% of the vote be a DEI hire? He was elected, not appointed. At this point, it’s evident that DEI has become interchangeable with a less socially acceptable racial slur — n*gger.

Harvey LeRoy “Lee” Atwater, a Republican political advisor, once outlined this Southern Strategy.” Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968 you can’t say “nigger” — that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more…