POLITICS, DIVERSITY

Anti-Diversity Bills Rooted in Fear of Losing Control

Efforts to protect conservatism undermine a multicultural nation

Vanessa Gallman
4 min readFeb 29, 2024

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Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion.

It’s hard to accept that such lofty principles, known as DEI, are part of some sinister plot to poison minds and destroy this country.

After all, America’s prosperity, along with its status as a beacon of civil liberties, is rooted in its blend of peoples from across the world. Yet, the reality of our “melting pot” is that it also includes generations of conflicts between groups seeking to blend in.

Yet legislation now dehated in half of the states portray efforts to overcome such conflicts as a sort of spreading toxin. Bills aimed at shutting down DEI training in schools and colleges dovetail with movements to ban books, erase racial history, reject LGBTQ citizens, and embrace a conspiracy theory about a plan to replace the white majority.

It’s happening even in overwhelmingly white and Republican states like Kentucky, where I live. Bills seek to end DEI programs in K-12 schools, colleges and universities and even in charter schools. The state ttorney general would be allowed to sue colleges and universities on allegations they promoted “discriminatory…

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Vanessa Gallman

Experienced journalist, educator and retired opinion-page editor with occasional musings