Popular radio host, TV personality, and author Charlamagne tha God described diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts as 'well-intentioned' but 'mostly garbage' during a blistering monologue on The Daily Show on Wednesday.
Charlamagne displayed several commercials for DEI programs that he referred to as 'corporate PR,' including some from Microsoft, General Mills, and Vaseline.
Charlamagne tha God Rips DEI Programs on Live Television
During a monologue on Wednesday's The Daily Show, Charlamagne addressed the crowd, saying, "This is where you all stop applauding everything I say. The truth about DEI is that although it's well-intentioned, it's mostly garbage. Okay?"
He joked that it is kind of like the Black Little Mermaid and that just because racists hate it does not mean it is good.
Charlamagne went on to say that studies reveal that efforts to promote diversity have backfired in American businesses and actually made working conditions worse for Black employees.
He added that over 900 studies have shown that DEI programs do not make the workplace better for minorities but can actually make things worse because of a backlash effect.
However, he did note that DEI's biggest failure is that the number of Black people in power at big companies is basically the same as it was five years ago.
According to multiple reports, DEI positions suffered in 2023 due to the corporate world's increased popularity of equity projects after the social justice movement sparked by George Floyd's death in 2020.
Charmalagne argued that these DEI programs failed because they focused on shielding corporations from criticism rather than genuinely caring about diversity.
"And honestly, I'm not surprised these programs didn't work, and here's why: it's just corporate PR. They want good vibes. And also, they want to cover their a-. Okay? Did you know that if a company gets sued for civil rights violations, just having a DEI program will be counted as evidence in their favor, even if the program doesn't do s-. It's the 'I have a Black friend' of the legal system, all right?" he claimed.
He also argued that real DEI would only come from Black leadership but claims he does not know how to do it because he is not a Black leader, but he knows how to tell if it works. He advised keeping an eye on right-wing media.
The progressive radio personality is known for calling out hypocrisy on both sides of the political spectrum and has been an outspoken opponent of both the previous president, Trump, and the current one, Biden, labeling the latter as "a sh---y elected official" and claiming that reelection would be the "end of democracy."
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Growing DEI Certification Initiatives Create Army of 'Political Commissars'
A recent report from a monitoring group on higher education has claimed that institutions are reaping significant financial rewards from the certificate training programs they have introduced via DEI.
Legal Insurrection Foundation's CriticalRace.org project claimed that this allows students and professionals to gain credentials and ideology to obtain DEI jobs.
It added that it continues to spread the concept as they go into the corporate, academic, or government sector to practice, effectively becoming DEI "commissars."
The project launched a new DEI Certificate Programs database, which tracks the spread of critical race theory and DEI.
The nonprofit organization characterized these programs as non-academic, non-degree programs that have increased as higher education seeks to cash in on the post-George Floyd CRT/DEI feeding frenzy.
