On Jan. 21, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order called "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity." This order removed DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) programs from federal agencies and discouraged private businesses that work with the government from using DEI policies that could be seen as unfair or discriminatory.
DEI programs claim to make things fair, but they do the opposite. Instead of treating everyone equally, they favor certain groups over others. This leads to division, animosity, unfairness and lower standards.
Imagine the University of Alabama football team choosing a quarterback based on a fairness rule instead of picking the best player. Or starting a weaker player just to meet diversity goals. Would Crimson Tide fans still pack Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium? Would the team still compete for national championships?
DEI is not the answer – it simply replaces one form of discrimination with another.
Douglass Rejected Special Treatment
Frederick Douglass, America's greatest champion of freedom and justice, believed in equal opportunity, not special treatment. His powerful words from the 1800s serve as a direct rebuke to DEI policies that prioritize racial preferences over merit and fairness. “Do nothing with us, for us, or by us as a particular class,” Douglass said. “[T]he broadest and bitterest of the black man’s misfortunes is that he is everywhere regarded and treated as an exception to the principles and maxims that apply to other men….”
DEI programs treat certain racial and identity groups as exceptions to the rules, offering them advantages in hiring, promotions and college admissions. He didn’t want black Americans – or anyone else – treated differently because of their backgrounds. He demanded equal treatment. Douglass believed in earning success.
DEI Encourages Discrimination, Douglass Rejected It
DEI is built on racial distinctions and group identity, favoring some while disadvantaging others. Douglass firmly opposed any system that made race a deciding factor in how people are treated.
Douglass rejected the idea that race should determine opportunity. He believed in a level playing field where people succeed based on their talent, hard work and merit – not government-imposed favoritism.
“We utterly repudiate all invidious distinctions, whether in our favor or against us and ask only for a fair field and no favor,” Douglass said.
DEI does the exact opposite. It pushes race-based hiring, promotions and school admissions – favoring one group over another in the name of “equity.”
Consider affirmative action in college admissions. Colleges have denied highly qualified students, particularly Asian Americans, simply because they don’t fit the DEI diversity model. The Supreme Court recently struck down race-based admissions, reinforcing Douglass’ principle: No group should receive special treatment at the expense of another.
Douglass Believed in Hard Work, Not Government Help
In his 1865 speech, “What the Black Man Wants,” Douglass answered the question, "What shall we do with the Negro?" His answer was simple: Nothing. He rejected the idea that government programs should "help" black people through special treatment. He argued for freedom, opportunity and self-reliance, saying:
What I ask for the Negro is not benevolence, not pity, not sympathy, but simply justice. ... Everybody has asked the question, and they learned to ask it early of the abolitionists, ‘What shall we do with the Negro?’ I have had but one answer from the beginning. Do nothing with us! Your doing with us has already played the mischief with us. ... And if the Negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall also. All I ask is, give him a chance to stand on his own legs! … [J]ust let him alone! – your interference is doing him a positive injury.
DEI programs interfere with people’s ability to succeed on their own. These policies insist that minorities cannot succeed without special help. Instead of empowering people, DEI creates dependence. Douglass warned that this kind of interference does more harm than good.
Douglass believed in fairness, hard work and personal responsibility – values that DEI goes against.
Same Agenda, New Name
We must stay alert because those pushing the DEI agenda won’t just give up – they’ll change the name and keep promoting the same ideas. The left often switches words when people start to see the truth. Now that DEI is becoming unpopular, its supporters won’t admit it’s a failure. Instead, they’ll rebrand it using terms like “inter-ethnic relations,” “cross-culturalism,” “multiculturalism,” “equity,” or “belonging” to make things sound better while keeping the same unfair policies – all the while promoting the same Marxist ideologies.
Their goal is still the same: to divide people by race, gender and class while giving the government more control over schools, businesses and our daily lives. That’s why we must do more than reject DEI. We need to recognize and call out its ideas, no matter what they name it.
DEI Hurts the American Dream
The values Douglass fought for – freedom and fairness – are the foundation of the American Dream. DEI works against these values by promoting division and entitlement. Instead of bringing people together through shared opportunities, it separates them by race, gender and identity politics.
Douglass’ vision was clear:
- No special favors based on race
- Equal opportunity, not equal outcomes
- Success through hard work, not racial preferences
- No government interference in personal success
DEI violates all these principles. DEI is racial favoritism that hurts individual achievement and creates division.
The Right Response to Discrimination
The solution to discrimination is not more discrimination – it’s fairness, transparency and accountability. True fairness comes from treating everyone equally, not tilting the scales based on race or identity.
As Frederick Douglass repeatedly stated, true liberty doesn’t come from government handouts or race-based policies but from individual responsibility, hard work, and faith in God.
To contact KCarl or request a speaking engagement, go to www.kcarlinc.com.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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