There is a fundamental assumption among anti-DEI conservatives that there is only one Best Candidate for any job, one who conveniently looks like them. Anyone who look different, then, obviously can’t be the Best Candidate, so someone must have “tipped the scales” to get them in.
Diversity is important because it leads to better ideas, particularly in matters of public policy that affect everyone. I think it’s perfectly appropriate for a PR team to use, as one of its hiring guidelines, a goal to assemble people from different backgrounds, which will make everything they produce more relatable to the public. But since Conservatives don’t see the value in that at all, all they see is “They wanted to hire a black woman to tick a box”, not realizing the value that particular candidate’s lived experience brings to that team.
I don’t even think it’s that they don’t understand that a black woman can bring a different perspective than a white man. They just don’t think that perspective matters. Heteronormative white patriarchal Christian culture must be maintained at all costs.
They let other folks in now and then, as long as they play by the rules.
Just look at Clarence Thomas. By any measure, he is a smart man. Dude graduated from Yale Law school in the early 70’s when there were very few black folks there. However, major law firms did the same thing back then that Boebert is doing now, and assumed he just got into Yale due to affirmative action, to “tick a box”. Rather than blame the inherent racism at the time, he blamed Yale for admitting him in the first place. Which is bonkers, when you think about it.
Once he became a judge, he continued to work to dial back progress made in the 20th century, all because his fee-fees got hurt after law school. And the bribes, don’t forget the bribes!
There is a fundamental assumption among anti-DEI conservatives that there is only one Best Candidate for any job, one who conveniently looks like them. Anyone who look different, then, obviously can’t be the Best Candidate, so someone must have “tipped the scales” to get them in.
Diversity is important because it leads to better ideas, particularly in matters of public policy that affect everyone. I think it’s perfectly appropriate for a PR team to use, as one of its hiring guidelines, a goal to assemble people from different backgrounds, which will make everything they produce more relatable to the public. But since Conservatives don’t see the value in that at all, all they see is “They wanted to hire a black woman to tick a box”, not realizing the value that particular candidate’s lived experience brings to that team.
I don’t even think it’s that they don’t understand that a black woman can bring a different perspective than a white man. They just don’t think that perspective matters. Heteronormative white patriarchal Christian culture must be maintained at all costs.
They let other folks in now and then, as long as they play by the rules.
Just look at Clarence Thomas. By any measure, he is a smart man. Dude graduated from Yale Law school in the early 70’s when there were very few black folks there. However, major law firms did the same thing back then that Boebert is doing now, and assumed he just got into Yale due to affirmative action, to “tick a box”. Rather than blame the inherent racism at the time, he blamed Yale for admitting him in the first place. Which is bonkers, when you think about it.
Once he became a judge, he continued to work to dial back progress made in the 20th century, all because his fee-fees got hurt after law school. And the bribes, don’t forget the bribes!