As a Black woman born into poverty in rural Virginia, I benefited tremendously from the Civil Rights Movement. But today’s DEI policies are not advancing that cause.
The end of affirmative action and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs through executive orders brings us back to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. That’s a good thing. It means a return to an emphasis on nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and merit-based advancement where more individuals get a shot at attaining the American Dream — the very conditions we achieved 60 years ago, which DEI and affirmative action have since undone. Despite the turmoil of the 1960s, Congress passed three major civil rights acts that made us equal under the law, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Open Housing Act of 1968.
