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Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is operating his marketing campaign on racism and calling it equality. Definitely, it is a factor that may be mentioned about most Republicans operating for any workplace, however courting the “combating racism is the true racism” vote appears to be DeSantis’ chief technique alongside together with his bizarre little obsession with eradicating any and all dialogue about gender identification. Both method, it seems that DeSantis sees himself as a civil rights chief within the Jim Woke period, however for Black folks, folks of shade and folk within the queer group, he’s simply one other white Christian nationalist partaking within the American custom of shifting in bigotry and framing it as patriotism and a protection of “God given” rights.
Over the weekend, DeSantis launched a video advert the place he declared that “DEI is over within the state of Florida.”
Initially, in some unspecified time in the future, it turns into clear that DeSantis and different GOPropagandists desire to make use of the “DEI” acronym, as a result of in the event that they mentioned issues like, “range, fairness and inclusion are over within the state of Florida,” it could make crimson states seem like precisely what lots of them are—utopias of white supremacy.
And make no mistake: It’s white supremacy.
What DeSantis and different Republicans are doing is taking a perception that the majority surveys present is just extensively held by white folks, and extra particularly, white conservatives—the assumption that racism in America isn’t vital—and turning that perception into coverage. That’s completely the best way systemic racism works. That’s what vital race idea is supposed to look at.
“The entire experiment with DEI is coming to an finish within the state of Florida. We’re eliminating the DEI applications. We’re going to deal with folks as people. We aren’t going to deal with folks as members of teams,” DeSantis mentioned in a press convention featured within the video. “DEI is healthier considered as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination, and that has no place in our public establishment.”
So, mainly, DEI is discrimination in opposition to white folks. However what else can one anticipate from the governor who tried to dilute Black voting energy by redistricting his state’s congressional map in a method that breaks up a predominately Black voting district, which he mentioned would make the district “race-neutral?” (In fact, we’re all nonetheless ready for his makes an attempt to make predominately white voting blocks “race-neutral,” however that might be anti-white discrimination, amirite?)
On the finish of the day, white conservatives must imagine that benefit is the rationale white folks have traditionally dominated company America and better schooling. That’s the rationale for his or her warfare in opposition to CRT, DEI and non-whitewashed American historical past curricula. Why draw consideration to the truth that for the overwhelming majority of America’s existence, Black and brown folks haven’t had almost the identical entry to the “American dream” that white folks have loved?
It’s simpler and way more handy to easily say, “OK, all the things is equal now, and any new coverage to additional racial progress is definitely racist in opposition to white folks.” That was the vitality the Supreme Courtroom used when it struck down affirmative motion in school admissions. And DeSantis is aware of his path to the presidency is paved by stoking white grievance and calling it a battle to “deal with folks as people.”
The irony could be comical if it weren’t so harmful and racist.
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DeSantis Says Biden Gained’t Be Impeached As a result of ‘No One Desires Kamala’
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