Racists have started using DEI as a put-down for any successful black person because they are too cowardly to use the N-word, Baltimore’s mayor claimed.
Brandon Scott was elected to the city’s top job in 2020, but has been routinely attacked by online opponents as a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) appointment, despite winning 70 percent of the vote.
The mayor, who has earned praise for his handling of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on Tuesday, warned that the term is being weaponized by the far right as the latest racist euphemism.
“We know what they want to say, but they don’t have the courage to say the N-word,” he told Joy Reid on MSNBC’s morning show.
“I know and you know that black men and young black men in particular have been the boogeymen and for those who are racist and think that only rich, straight white men should have a say in anything.”
X owner Elon Musk retweeted the spurious claim from one of his favorite far-right accounts, helping it reach 25 million views before undoing his retweet as the backlash grew.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott was elected to office with 70 percent of the vote in 2020.
DEI initiatives seek to increase the number of people from underrepresented ethnic groups in the workforce.
But they have been criticized by states across the country that argue they amount to reversing discrimination against better-qualified candidates.
Some have labeled it an acronym for “Did’t Earn It,” but Mayor Scott said in his case it stands for “Duly Elected Incumbent.”
“The fact that I don’t believe in their false and misguided ideology and the fact that I’m very proud of my heritage and who I am and where I come from scares them,” he added.
“Because being in my position means that your way of thinking, your way of living, of being comfortable while everyone else suffers, will be at risk and you should be afraid because that is my purpose in life.”
A far-right account received 25 million views for a tweet labeling Scott “Baltimore’s DEI mayor” after it was retweeted by X owner Elon Musk.
“The situation is going to get much worse. Prepare accordingly.’ wrote the poster.
Musk later undid his retweet after a furious backlash from the platform’s users, and a ‘community note’ was added, clarifying that: ‘Brandon Scott was elected mayor of Baltimore in 2020 with >70% support.’ the votes. He did not come to office through internships, appointments, etc. of the DEI.’
Scott poses for a photo during the 2021 Preakness horse racing festival
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Bureau returned aboard the container ship Dali on Wednesday as two more bodies were recovered in the search for construction workers who died when the ship crashed on Tuesday.
Scott told MSNBC host Joy Reid: “We’ve come a long way and we have a long way to go.”
Scott effectively won the Baltimore mayoral election in June 2020 when he secured the Democratic nomination for the office in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans ten to one.
He ran a campaign focused on youthful energy, progressive ideas and expertise, and pledged to address long-standing challenges in the city such as gun violence and substance abuse.
A city councilman since 2011, he emerged victorious from a field that included more than 20 Democrats, including current Mayor Bernard C. ‘Jack’ Young and former Mayor Sheila Dixon, making him at age 36 one of the youngest mayors in the United States.
But during his term he has endured rape threats against his mother and graffiti on a city bus threatening to hang him.
His announcement last year that he was expecting a child with his fiancée Hana Pugh led some to denounce him as “just a bully” and creating “one more illegitimate black baby from Baltimore.”
The bridge tragedy that left six dead is believed to have unfolded when the 980ft container ship suffered a “total blackout” as it approached the structure, leaving it unable to steer.
But some Republicans laid the blame for the bridge disaster at DEI’s door, including Utah state Rep. Phil Lyman, who suggested that DEI considerations were behind the appointment of Karenthia Barber, one of six Port of Baltimore commissioners.
“This is what happens when there are governors who prioritize diversity over the well-being and safety of citizens,” the gubernatorial candidate said in a post on X.
Prominent Republicans including Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have passed laws preventing state money from being used on DEI initiatives, with Florida’s governor calling them “woke indoctrination.”
But some on the right jumped to defend Scott against claims that he is a beneficiary of the system.
“This is an ugly racist tweet,” former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh posted.
Claims Scott was a DEI appointee sparked furious response online
‘I have all kinds of problems with the ideology and practice of DEI. But if these idiots are just going to use DEI as a synonym for “black”, then don’t consider me. This is so monstrously stupid and offensive,’ Jonah Goldberg added.
“Anyone who replaces the word ‘DEI’ with ‘black’ to use racist tropes is a racist,” New York Congressman Ritchie Torres tweeted.
“Anyone who substitutes the word ‘Zionist’ for ‘Jew’ to engage in anti-Semitic tropes is an anti-Semite.”
‘Please consider why black people cannot be convinced that racism is a thing of the past. Try 985,576,342…’ added Monique Pressley.