Rev. Al Sharpton at Costco acknowledging the retailer's support for DEI programs. Photo: Brian Branch Price/ZUMA Press Wi
Black people must be discerning about racist attacks on DEI programs while also acknowledging that “diversity” can be a con that damages Black politics, just as it was meant to do.
The sight of Al Sharpton holding a protest at a New York City Costco store is a sure sign that very problematic politics are being practiced. In this instance, Sharpton’s theatrics were inspired by the corporations which discontinued their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. DEI has been in conservative crosshairs with conservative think tanks and activists filing numerous lawsuits claiming that the programs are discriminatory. The same corporations who joined in the performative DEI programs when it was convenient have now run for cover. Costco is one of the few who didn’t and so got the seal of approval from Reverend Al.
Corporate DEI programs came into vogue in 2020 in the wake of nationwide protest after the police killing of George Floyd. The fact that both white police and corporate CEOs were “taking a knee” allegedly in sympathy with protesters should have been a sign that anything emanating from these gestures was a joke at best and a betrayal at worst.
According to a 2023 report, only 4% of chief diversity officer positions in U.S. corporations were held by Black people, who also had the lowest average salaries. DEI mania was a public relations effort intended to stem Black protest while doing nothing to improve the material conditions of Black workers, even for those who were involved in this project. The usual hierarchies remained in place, with white men and women getting the top jobs and the most money. Also Black people were not the only group subject to DEI policies, as other “people of color,” women, and the LGBTQ+ community were also competing for a piece of the questionable action.
In addition to the right wing legal attack, Donald Trump is so obsessed with ending DEI in the federal government that all employees connected with such programs were placed on administrative leave after one of his many executive orders were issued. Federal workers were instructed to report on their knowledge of any DEI activity that hadn’t been ferreted out. The Trump administration DEI ban means that agencies are being told not to even allow for any affinity events or celebrations. Although that idea might not be bad if it prevented the FBI from claiming to honor Martin Luther KIng, a man they surveilled, harassed, and encouraged to commit suicide. Not to be deterred in the Trumpian witch hunt, the Air Force briefly deleted information about the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Army Service Pilots (WASPs) from a basic training curriculum, only to return the information after public outrage emerged when military heroes, usually revered, were getting the usual rough treatment meted out to Black people.
Yet it is difficult to ignore the Trump anti-DEI frenzy. At its core it is an effort to disappear Black people from public life altogether under the guise of protecting a white meritocracy which never existed. However, it would be a mistake to embrace a failed effort which succeeds only at liberal virtue signalling and creating a more diverse group of managers to help in running the ruling class machinery.
DEI was a repackaging of affirmative action, a term which fell into disfavor after years of complaint from aggrieved white people and which was undone by Supreme Court decisions. Like affirmative action, it was a calculated response to serious political action, action which threatened to upend a system in dire need of disrupting and bringing the justice and the democracy that are so often bragged about yet that remain so elusive.
As always, Black people are caught between the proverbial rock and hard place, not wanting to ignore Trumpian antics while also being wary of any connection with the likes of Al Sharpton. The confusion about what to do is rampant and mirrors the general sense of confusion about Black political activity.
When the Target retail outlet ended its DEI programs there were calls for boycotts. Of course others pointed out that Target sold products created by Black owned companies which would be harmed by the absence of Black shoppers. All of the proposals are well meaning, meant to mitigate harm and to help Black people in their endeavors. Yet they all miss the point.
The reality of an oppressive system renders such concerns moot. Racial capitalism may give out a crumb here and another there, and allow a few Black businesses some space on store shelves. If nothing else it knows how to preserve itself and to co-opt at opportune moments. Yet the fundamentals do not change. DEI is of little use. But by ending it, Trump evokes great fear in a group of people whose situation is so tenuous that it still clings to the useless and discredited Democratic Party to protect itself from Trump and his ilk.
It is absolutely necessary to leave the false comfort of denial that gives the impression Trump is offering some new danger to Black people. The last thing Black people need is for the CIA or the State Department to hide their dirty deeds behind King birthday celebrations or Black History Month events. Black History Month should be a time when plans for liberation are hatched, making it unattractive to enemy government agencies to even consider using for propaganda purposes.
The death of DEI should not be mourned. Its existence is an affront to Black peoples’ history and valiant struggles. DEI is just one of many means to keep us compliant and to give legitimacy to what isn’t legitimate. If Al Sharpton is marching anywhere the best course of action is to stay very far away.
Margaret Kimberley is the author of Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents. You can support her work on Patreon and also find it on the Twitter, Bluesky, and Telegram platforms. She can be reached via email at margaret.kimberley@blackagendareport.com
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