(BrightPress.org) – MSNBC anchor Joy Reid said on her show “The ReidOut” this week that she believes Republicans are against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs because they “can’t stand black people.” Reid made the statement while discussing the recent collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. Her comment was about social media posts, made by conservatives, that infer DEI was at least in part responsible for the cargo ship crashing into the bridge.
Utah state Rep. Phil Lyman posted on X that the governor of Maryland prioritizes “diversity over the wellbeing and security of citizens.” along with a re-post of a conservative group that listed the Port of Baltimore Commissioners and their experience. The post singled out Karenthia A. Barber and said she has no knowledge of ports but is an auditor and consultant for DEI programs. Lyman, who is running for governor, told The Salt Lake Tribune his social media staff made the post without his approval. As of March 27th, the post had not been removed. Two other posts were still visible, one calling DEI “poison” and another re-post that said “DEI = Didn’t Earn It.”
Nika White, a DEI consultant, called Lyman’s assertions “irresponsible, anti-Black and anti-woman” and “profoundly misguided.” White claims that by linking Barber to the accident and emphasizing her DEI efforts he displayed “bias” and “ignorance.”
Reid discussed similar social media posts made by other conservatives, one with a picture of Baltimore’s mayor, Brandon Scott calling him a “DEI Mayor” and remarks about his age and youthful appearance.
The creator of a platform called the Darkest Hue wrote on Instagram that DEI is clearly being used as a substitute for racial slurs and is being used as “a dog whistle for Black people.”
Reid called conservatives linking DEI to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge “idiotic and racist theories” and claimed Republicans believe only “white Christian men” should hold political office.
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