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PROGRESS
The Anti-DEI Movement is a Textbook Case of White Backlash
An essay about resistance that impedes progress
White backlash is not a new phenomenon in American society. Each generation has witnessed resistance to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This point is well-illustrated by the opposition newly freed Black Americans faced following the Civil War. In 1866, an official noted that “the freedmen have been kept in perfect terror,” as White southerners often used violence and political discrimination to maintain control. This pattern has persisted in every generation since.
During the civil rights era, segregationists like U.S. South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond publically opposed integration. “All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the Negro into our homes, into our schools, and churches and our places of recreation and amusement,” he warned in 1948. Such statements highlight widespread resistance to racial equality. Any effort to make positive social change was met with anger by those who saw racial equality as a threat. And it is through that same blurred lens many White people continue to view racial progress.
Consider Bill Ackman, for instance, a conservative billionaire hedge fund manager who claimed that DEI programs are a form of “reverse racism.” His goal, like obstructionists that came before him, is to distort the purpose of these policies to portray them as harmful. Of course, reverse racism is a myth, as Black people and other racial minorities don’t have systemic power to racially discriminate against White people. However, there is power in repeating a lie from a tall mountaintop. From his position of wealth and racial privilege, Ackman’s argument, smearing DEI, has been exceedingly effective.
The UNC Chapel Hill Board of Trustees recently voted to defund their DEI programs and reallocate funds to public safety. Their decision reflects a broader movement of nationwide administrators limiting or banning DEI programs in academic settings. Just a few years ago, during the racial reckoning, programs designed to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion were seen as positive and aligned with campus core values. Now, we’re seeing these values flip. What’s happening here may seem random, but when…
