Deconstructing Charlamagne Tha God's The Daily Show DEI segment | Roland Martin
Summary
TLDRThe transcript discusses the evolution of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from affirmative action to its current form, highlighting the historical context and challenges faced. It critiques the performative nature of DEI in corporate America, emphasizing the need for genuine commitment and action from leadership to effect change. The speaker argues for the importance of DEI beyond just hiring practices, including economic equity and inclusion in business opportunities for minority-owned firms.
Takeaways
- ð The speaker is in the middle of moving houses and dealing with the anniversary of Dr. King's assassination.
- ð± There's a discussion about Charlamagne tha God's appearance on The Daily Show, where he talks about DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).
- ð€ The speaker wants to deconstruct Charlamagne's statements as they have some thoughts and opinions on the matter.
- ð DEI is associated with fair hiring policies, anti-discrimination rules, and sensitivity training, but it has also led to a lot of performative actions rather than real progress.
- ðº Advertisements and corporate commitments to DEI have increased, but there's skepticism about the genuine impact of these initiatives.
- ð¢ The history of DEI is rooted in the civil rights movement and affirmative action, which aimed to address economic disparities and lack of representation for African Americans.
- ð DEI has evolved to include a broader range of identities beyond African Americans, such as women, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and the LGBTQ+ community.
- ðŒ There's a critique that DEI programs are often filled by white people, and that they may not effectively address the systemic issues they aim to solve.
- ð Despite criticisms, there's evidence that DEI is becoming a priority in corporate America, with many companies having DEI programs and leaders who value diversity.
- ð ïž The effectiveness of DEI lies in the proactive measures taken by leadership, such as hiring practices, supplier diversity, and inclusive business strategies.
- ð¥ The speaker argues that real DEI requires confronting systemic racism and economic inequality, and that it should not be reduced to mere performative actions.
Q & A
What is the significance of the 56th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination mentioned in the transcript?
-The 56th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination is significant as it marks an important historical event that continues to influence discussions on race, equality, and social justice in the United States. The mention of this date in the transcript serves as a backdrop for the ongoing conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) that the speaker is about to discuss.
What does the term 'Dei' stand for, and what are its main objectives?
-Dei stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Its main objectives are to promote fair hiring policies, implement new anti-discrimination rules in the workplace, and provide sensitivity training and seminars to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment.
How did the Ker Commission Report influence the early stages of diversity initiatives in media?
-The Ker Commission Report, which examined the causes of the 1967 riots, concluded that the news media contributed significantly to the unrest due to a lack of diversity. This led to the recommendation that media should be diversified, resulting in the first significant influx of African-Americans into mainstream media after 1968.
What was the role of Arthur Fletcher in the development of affirmative action programs?
-Arthur Fletcher, often called the father of affirmative action, played a crucial role in the development of these programs. He was tapped by Richard Nixon to reach out to African-Americans and focus on economic initiatives. Fletcher's work helped lay the foundation for affirmative action programs that aimed to address economic disparities and promote equal opportunities.
Why did the shift from affirmative action to diversity occur in the 1980s?
-The shift occurred due to Supreme Court decisions that began to limit affirmative action programs. This led to a change in focus from specifically targeting African-Americans to a broader concept of diversity, which included other underrepresented groups such as women, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and the LGBTQ+ community.
What is the speaker's view on the effectiveness of Dei programs?
-The speaker believes that while Dei programs are well-intentioned, they are mostly ineffective and amount to performative actions by corporations. He argues that these programs often do not lead to substantial changes and can even contribute to tokenism and further discrimination.
How does the speaker address the criticism of Dei programs by conservative voices?
-The speaker argues that the criticism of Dei programs by conservative voices is rooted in a reluctance to address systemic racism and white supremacy. He suggests that these critics often frame Dei initiatives as reverse racism or unnecessary, ignoring the historical context and ongoing disparities that these programs aim to address.
What is the role of white leadership in the success of Dei initiatives, according to the speaker?
-According to the speaker, white leadership plays a crucial role in the success of Dei initiatives. He argues that it is not enough to have black leaders; there needs to be a commitment from white executives who are in power to actively prioritize and implement effective Dei strategies within their organizations.
What does the speaker suggest is the real issue with Dei programs?
-The speaker suggests that the real issue with Dei programs is that they are often performative and not backed by genuine commitment or action from corporate leaders. He points out that many Dei initiatives lack real power, budget, or decision-making ability, and that true change requires proactive measures and a willingness to confront systemic racism and inequality.
How does the speaker propose to improve the effectiveness of Dei programs?
-The speaker proposes that Dei programs need to move beyond performative actions and become more substantive. This includes having white leaders who are willing to make proactive decisions, diversifying hiring practices, ensuring that Dei initiatives have real budgets and decision-making power, and holding companies accountable for their commitments to diversity and inclusion.
What is the importance of Dei in the corporate world, according to the speaker?
-According to the speaker, Dei is crucial for the corporate world as it not only addresses ethical concerns of fairness and equality but also makes good business sense. A diverse and inclusive workforce can lead to better decision-making, innovation, and customer engagement. However, the speaker emphasizes that true diversity must be reflected in all aspects of business operations, not just in hiring.
Outlines
ð Moving and Reflecting on Dei
The speaker discusses their busy day, which included moving to a new house and reflecting on the anniversary of Dr. King's assassination. They also delve into the topic of Dei (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), prompted by Charlamagne's appearance on The Daily Show. The speaker expresses their intention to deconstruct Charlamagne's views on Dei, as they feel there's a need for a more nuanced understanding of the subject. They touch upon the evolution of diversity initiatives, from affirmative action to the current focus on Dei, and criticize superficial approaches to diversity in advertising and media.
ð Historical Progress and Critiques of Dei
This paragraph continues the discussion on Dei, exploring its roots in the Kerner Commission report following the 1967 riots, and the subsequent integration of African-Americans into mainstream media. The speaker highlights the role of President Johnson and Nixon in shaping early affirmative action programs and the emergence of diversity officers in corporations. They critique the modern perception of Dei as a rebranded form of discrimination against white people and argue that Dei is a response to historical and systemic inequalities.
ð€ Unpacking Dei: Intentions vs. Reality
The speaker challenges the notion that Dei programs are ineffective or divisive, arguing that they are well-intentioned but often mismanaged. They discuss the resistance to affirmative action programs from the start and the shift in focus from targeting African-Americans to a broader range of identities. The speaker asserts that Dei programs are about creating a more equitable and inclusive environment, but they acknowledge the criticism that these programs can sometimes be superficial or lead to tokenism.
ð¡ The Truth About Dei: Misconceptions and Data
In this paragraph, the speaker addresses common misconceptions about Dei, citing statistics from the Pew Research Center to counter the argument that Dei efforts are not valued or effective. They highlight the majority of Americans support Dei initiatives and that there is a significant portion of the workforce that sees the value in such programs. The speaker also points out the partisan differences in views on Dei, with a stark contrast between Democrats and Republicans.
ð Dei in Corporate America: Progress and Challenges
The speaker discusses the presence of Dei in Corporate America, noting the increase in black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and the challenges black leaders face in the corporate world. They argue that real Dei comes from black leadership and that white corporate leaders need to prioritize and effectively implement Dei initiatives. The speaker calls for a shift from performative Dei to actionable, results-driven practices within corporations.
ðŒ Leadership and Accountability in Dei
The speaker emphasizes the need for strong leadership in Dei initiatives, using examples from media and business leaders who have made significant changes in their organizations. They argue that Dei is not just about hiring but about creating an environment where all employees can succeed and feel included. The speaker also addresses the role of white leadership in acknowledging their part in systemic racism and working towards genuine Dei.
ð€ Charlamagne's Critique and the Reality of Dei
The speaker responds to Charlamagne's critique of Dei, arguing that the need for Dei in Corporate America is real and necessary. They highlight the importance of Dei programs in promoting diversity beyond just hiring practices and the benefits of a diverse workforce. The speaker also points out the need for more black leaders and the role of white allies in supporting and implementing effective Dei initiatives.
ð€ Collaborative Efforts for Dei
The speaker calls for collaboration and courage among corporate leaders to advance Dei initiatives effectively. They discuss the need for white corporate leaders to confront systemic racism and make genuine efforts to support diversity. The speaker also mentions the impact of Dei on consumer trust and business success, emphasizing that Dei is not just a moral imperative but also good for business.
ð Investing in the Creator Economy
The speaker transitions to discussing investment opportunities in the creator economy, highlighting a new social media app called Fanbase that is raising funds. They encourage investment in this platform, which aims to empower creators and offer a new era of social media for the creator economy.
Mindmap
Keywords
ð¡Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
ð¡Affirmative Action
ð¡Corporate America
ð¡Systemic Racism
ð¡Performative DEI
ð¡Backlash against DEI
ð¡Glass Ceiling
ð¡Economic Inequality
ð¡White Supremacy
ð¡Black Enterprise
ð¡Corporate Leadership
Highlights
The discussion revolves around the concept of Dei (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), its evolution, and its current state in various institutions.
The speaker reflects on the historical context of Dei, tracing back to the 1960s and the impact of the Ker Commission Report on the diversification of media.
The role of affirmative action in the 1970s and its influence on the presence of African-Americans in Corporate America is highlighted.
The transition from affirmative action to diversity initiatives in the 1980s and 1990s is discussed, emphasizing the shift in focus to a broader range of minority groups.
The speaker critiques the performative nature of Dei, arguing that it often lacks real progress and meaningful change.
The impact of political changes, such as the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, on the limitations of affirmative action programs is mentioned.
The speaker addresses the criticism of Dei by right-wing individuals and groups, suggesting that opposition often stems from a reluctance to confront white supremacy and systemic racism.
The importance of having diverse perspectives and experiences in decision-making roles within organizations is emphasized.
The speaker calls for more effective and proactive leadership in implementing Dei policies, rather than mere performative measures.
The need for Dei to focus on economic equity and providing opportunities for minority-owned businesses is discussed.
The speaker highlights the increase in Dei jobs and the need for these roles to have real impact and authority within organizations.
The discussion touches on the role of corporate America in supporting Dei initiatives and the pressure to make genuine changes beyond public relations efforts.
The speaker argues that Dei programs should not be about hiring unqualified candidates but about recognizing and utilizing diverse talent.
The importance of confronting economic inequality and systemic barriers faced by minority groups is emphasized.
The speaker calls for white corporate leaders to take a stand against critics of Dei and to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organizations.
The discussion concludes with a call for more action and less performative rhetoric in the pursuit of genuine diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Transcripts
all right so yesterday was crazy busy
I'm sitting there in the middle of a
move to another house and and and man we
were busy with April 4th uh the 56th
anniversary of assassination of Dr King
and and so folks start with texting and
calling me then I saw social media and
all these folks were uh talking about uh
charlam man the god and being on The
Daily Show and him talking about Dei and
and I was just like okay y'all I've been
sorry I've been busy so um I I looked at
it looked at it two three times today
and we've talked about some of these
things before that he laid out in it and
so I I wanted to deconstruct it because
I do have some thoughts uh about what
was said so um we're going to take it
from the top uh and then I'm going to
walk y'all through this and share some
things with you uh that hopefully you
can uh be more well-rounded and informed
about the reality of what we're talking
about with Dei go called diversity
equity and inclusion are Dei it means
more fair hiring policies new
anti-discrimination rules for the
workplace and sensitivity training
seminars and the first thing it led to
was a shitload of ads real progress on
diversity and inclusion doesn't happen
without real
work say celebrate diversity into your
X1 voice remote to discover curated
content today every day General Mills
serves the world by making food people
love and inclusion is one of our secret
ingredients at craft times our purpose
is to make life delicious and we believe
we can't achieve that without one
essential ingredient
diversity it's diversity that makes life
delicious we're on a 400 year long
journey and scars don't fade but neither
does
Hope ask your doctor if black people are
right for you that's right nobody's
buying Vaseline because of diversity
come to think of it I don't think I've
ever actually bought Vaseline it's just
there like it comes with the house right
so that's how things stood in 2020 but
that was like 15 years ago today when
people talk about Dei it's more likely
to sound like this Dei is just a
rebranded version of
uh put on pause right there all right so
let's let's let's unpack this now first
and foremost uh to understand
Dei today what you have to understand is
how did you even get to Dei so and
remember 1968 a report was done it's
called was commonly known as the ker
commission report and the report
examined the cause of the riots in
1967 and what result of that report they
concluded he talked about a lot of
issues and they actually fought back and
forth what they said is there are two
Americans there were one white one black
and one of the recommendations in the
curent commission report was that um
news media greatly contributed to the
ride coverage so therefore it need to be
Diversified so you then begin to see
your first in your first influx of
African-Americans in mainstream media
that really happened after the commer
I'm talking about in in significant
numbers after
1968 so if you look at the early' 70s
you really then begin to see your first
programs dealing with affirmative action
why well remember president lynon Baines
Johnson used that phrase first when he
was at Howard University then Richard
Nixon is elected one of Richard Nixon's
Focus was in order to reach
African-Americans let's tap into
economics so what Nixon did was Nixon
tapped Arthur Fletcher and Arthur
Fletcher many have called the father of
affirmative action bot
Brown was who was a very close associate
of Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr
involved in operation Bread Basket Bob
Brown had a significant portfolio and
was advancing a number of these economic
initiatives in the Nixon
Administration the reason Earl Graves
was able to actually launch Black
Enterprise is because he had raised
money but did not have enough money and
he was seeking a grant from the federal
government by Brown discussed this in
his book and the Nixon folks were trying
to block that Grant because Earl Graves
had worked for Bobby Kennedy and Bob
Baron was like the hell with that give
him the damn loan that's how Earl Graves
was able to get the loan to launch what
we now know as Black Enterprise and so
in the
1970s you begin to see your first wave
of African-Americans in Corporate
America now if you a vice remember
Jackie Robinson was the first vice
president of a major corporation uh in
New York city so you go into the 1970s
and so you now begin to see
African-Americans go into Corporate
America and the problem is that many of
these African-Americans the highest that
they got was really vice president of
Community Affairs we call those the
negro jobs those were the jobs that
where basically their job was to work
with the community and they would show
up at the events and they would come
with the big checks with the small
numbers and all stuff like that you had
that now Ellis Co talked about that
generation of African-Americans in the
70s and 80s in this book let's pull it
up the Rage of a privileged class this
is the book right this is the uh the
book right here why are middle class
blacks angry why should America care and
he talked to about the things that they
went through because they were hitting
that glass ceiling it is a phenomenal
book that you actually ought to read
once you then and so you had those
affirmative action programs remember you
had black Mayors you get affirmative
action programs that were quite
significant in Atlanta mayor Jackson
Coleman Young in Detroit Gary Hatcher in
Gary Indiana you had Stokes in Cleveland
Marin Barry in Washington DC and other
places then what happens in 1980 Reagan
is elected so now you go into the 80s
then you have the Supreme Court decision
that then begin to uh limit affirmative
action programs then you saw a shift
from affirmative action into diversity
so what you saw in the 80s 90s and the
2000s you begin to see these diversity
officers chief chief diversity officers
then you you shift from diversity or
chief global diversity officer to Dei
diversity Equity inclusion because
coming out of the black Freedom Movement
the focus was on African-Americans then
Title Nine hits in 1972 which was about
women and so who is the greatest
beneficiary affir of action white women
so what is known today as Dei is simply
the child of the initial affirmative
action programs what they then then did
they begin to expand this to not just be
for African-Americans it became
African-Americans it became white women
it became Latinos asian-americans Native
Americans it became gay it became
disabled and and then all of a sudden
the critics were like well why can't we
have diversity of
thought so what so what was initially
programs to Target African-Americans
then begin to expand and so now that
that that broad Focus now begin to get
wide and all kind of other folks were
included I remember I was speaking in a
corporation and somebody asked me about
Dei programs and I said black
people they were like that's it I
said ethnics E I said ethnic Americans I
said I limited that I wasn't trying to
include everybody else cuz I was focused
on exactly what programs were designed
for and so George Floyd
is murdered May
2020 I remember talking to somebody who
was in the Dei space at one point after
the death of George Floyd there were
something like a 100 open Dei jobs on
LinkedIn I mean all of a sudden the jobs
opened up and so you then begin to see
corporations posting on Instagram on
Twitter all these places talking about
they their support for diversity equity
and inclusion it was sort of like hm
really really and so you begin to see
that then you have these commitments of
billions of dollars stories have been
done on these corporations the numbers
have gone I've seen numbers anywhere
from 30 billion to 100 billion talking
about supporting various initiatives all
across the country let's pull it up come
on here we go corporate America's $50
billion promise that's one story I've
seen other stories where even higher and
everything was about Dei diversity
diversity equ inclusion now once you
begin to unpack Dei what you begin to
realize that 7 some like 75% of the
people who had the Dei jobs were white
folks yep weren't black folks there
white folks lot of than women now press
play let's pick up R Shain left off and
let me unpack the next
part Dei is just a rebranded version of
uh uh hating white people Dei in this
case stands for divisive erroneous and
Insidious Dei which stands for didn't
earn it discrimination exclusion and
indoctrination Dei Dei stands for Dr Dre
Easy E and Ice
Cube yeah yeah yeah y'all cheering out
there but do you want with Attitude
coming to your office
these right- Wingers are crazy right
Jesus but here's the part where you all
stop applauding everything I say the
truth about Dei is that although it's
well-intentioned it's mostly garbage
okay it's kind of like free right there
freeze right there
now understand from day
one from day one white folks could not
stand affirmative action
programs from day
one if you go back and to history they
couldn't stay in programs
after the Civil
War so at every point you've had this
reluctance because it oh F y'all got
some freedoms but oh no no no no we
ain't trying to get you no jobs we're
trying to give you any housing and so
you had the push back against
affirmative action programs then became
let's get rid of these quot programs so
the folk that you saw Fox News folks and
all these anti- Dei people Christopher
ruo all these people these folks have
been running their mils and you throw in
a Sprinkle or some black people some
others in there and they have been
opposing these
programs because they don't want to deal
with white supremacy they don't want to
deal with racism and see what they then
do is this is the whole game and you see
it now oh oh because you know the
Charlie Kirks of the world oh I'm
concerned if there's a black pilot
Candace Owens all people saying that
sort of nonsense
sense as if we had airplane crashes by
white
people see we're not talking about a
significant percentage of people who are
in corporate power we're not it's
largely controlled by White
America those are just facts and so
critics are going to be critics they are
going to complain about any of these
things because they don't want to deal
with the underlying issue which is when
it comes to hiring people pretty much
hire who they
know and if all you know a white folks
and if all you see a white folks and if
all you hang out with the white folks
and if you only recruit at schools where
there are white folks then that's
exactly who you're going to
hire press
play the truth about Dei is that
although it's well-intentioned it's
mostly garbage okay it's kind of like
the black Little Mermaid just because
racist hate it doesn't mean it's
good and you know I'm right because
every one of you has sat through one of
those diversity training sessions and
thought this is some
and it's not just you now
here's the whole deal we talk about
diversity training I've been in various
programs and what we have to understand
is people don't like to be confronted
with their own issues we love to live in
our side silos how we were raised how we
were brought up and we like to look at
the world in a certain way what we don't
want to have to do is consider somebody
else's perspective I remember when I was
at the warstar Telegram and the mayor
Institute was brought in to deal with a
training program for us to diversify our
sources and I remember sitting there and
there was a was a white male business
writer and he was he was conservative
and he was he was resisting what they
were talking about and we're sitting
there going but
look at who you call see for him he
would say and this is what you hear from
white folks today well I I I'm calling
the people who I think are well-versed
experts on the topic precisely but the
people you're calling they're nearly all
white do you even think to call Black
experts do you even think to call Black
Economist and see what they would then
go well I don't understand why do I have
to call a black Economist you don't have
to to but you could call an economist
who happens to be black because what we
see when it comes to how we live and how
we work is that that's what folks do and
so if you start looking at contracts
start looking at well who's getting
these contracts well if the catering
company and the and and the legal fees
and the um architecture company and the
engineering company and uh All
Professional Service if everybody white
man that's who getting hooked up up but
y'all don't think about there's there's
a black an accounting firm there's a
black Law Firm that could do some of the
outside work no see they don't think
about those things and so the reality of
Dei it is forcing people to get out of
their comfort zone and say diversify who
we do business with provide equity in
terms of economics and include other
people but people hate to have to do
that because they don't want to be
forced to do it because that means they
have to do some work that means they
don't have they they that means they
have to now go seek people I remember
Chris Rock complained about the lack of
black people on Saturday Night Live and
he said here's the problem the white
folks at SNL they keep going to the same
place Second City in Chicago or they're
going to places in Canada he said y'all
ain't going to the black comedy clubs
y'all not going hang out there and so
what he was saying is if this is all you
know if if you're at SNL you're Lauren
Michaels and this is all you know you
don't even see all this Talent over here
you don't even see all this Talent over
here and that's the reality of why you
have Dei programs it's not about oh I'm
hiring somebody who simply can't do it
but see that's what the haters do see
the haters love to frame this thing as
oh they
they're not good enough but you noticed
these white folks who criticize Dei they
never ever seem to
question incompetent white people
because they operate from the basis that
they're naturally
qualified and they never assign their
racial identity to them getting hired so
they'll say well we had to hire a black
person we had to hire a black lawyer we
had to hire that
but you hired all these white folks what
do they all have in
common that's what we're now seeing with
the criticism of
Dei plush
play and it's not just you over 900
Studies have shown that Dei programs
don't make the workplace better for
minorities in fact it can actually make
things worse because of the backlash
effect here okay so this is where I have
a fun Al problem with what Charlamagne
said there because this notion that well
it makes the harder in the workplace
because these people don't like it I
don't give a if they don't like
it I don't
care because the fact of the matter is
it does matter and when you listen to
all of these uh haters they're actually
lying this folks is from the Pew
Research Center you see May 17th
2023 workplace diversity and equity and
inclusion efforts or Dei a majority of
Americans employed 56% say focusing on
Dei at work is a good thing 6 and 10
Americans 61% say their company or
organization has policies that ensure
fairness and hiring pay or promotion 52%
say they have trainings or meetings on
Dei at work now you start going through
this and folks who have been interviewed
yes look at this here relatively small
share of workers place a lot of
importance on diversity at their
workplace well then half of workers say
their company or organization pays about
the right amount of attention to
increasing
Dei women are more likely than men to
Value Dei at work
ah there are wide partisan differences
in views of workplace
Dei 70 8% of democratic and Democratic
leaning workers say focusing on Dei at
work is a good thing compared with 30%
of Republicans and Republican leaners
now now you understand what is the
Republican
party it's a white party president her
Herber Hoover was a leader of what was
called The Lily white movement where
Republicans who came out of the radical
Republicans after the Civil War align
with the
KKK to suppress black people it was
called The Lily white
movement that's today's Republican party
see they hate all this Dei stuff it's
right there in the data only 30% of
Republicans like it so when you're
watching Fox News and you're hearing
conservative radio all these digital
sites what you're hearing are people who
are oh my God this this Dei is awful cuz
it lines up with actually their point of
view because they don't actually want to
see people like us actually move ahead
press
play dare from school y'all remember
dare yeah she said
Woo Dei training is like Dare for racism
and and you all know how effective that
was I was sitting there going oh
there's a ton of fun drugs I should
try I didn't even know about Molly
thanks officer
John but the biggest failure of Dei is
that the number of black people in power
at big companies is basically the same
as it was five years ago in fact maybe
the only thing that Dei has accomplished
is giving racist white people cover to
be openly racist now again this is where
Charlemagne's wrong here the number of
African-Americans who are now CEOs of
Fortune 500 companies
there are nine now first of all I said
Fortune 500 companies so we ain't
talking a huge amount but the reality is
just five years ago a few years ago
there were five okay so what you are
seeing the progress now now here's the
issue the problem that you see in the
executive Leadership Council the group
of black corporate leaders they've dealt
with this is that for many of these
leaders who are black people who are in
Corporate America the problem is
when they get to 55 58 they're being
moved out and so they're still hitting a
ceiling that is a fundamental problem
that we are seeing but that means when
we talking about Dei you're going to
have to have white folks who make it a
priority I'm unpack that in a second
press play eii breeds complacency Daya
and complacency kills we're going to
have doctors who don't know how to
perform heart surgery and we're going to
have uh plain that are falling out of
the sky Boeing recently bragged not
about being the best in the business but
about surpassing its diversity quotas Oh
goodie but then not so good adore flying
off one of Boeing 737 super Maxes I'm
sorry if I see a black pilot I'm going
to be like boy I hope he's
qualified I mean honestly when I see a
black pilot I'm not worried that we're
going to crash I'm worried that we're
going to get pulled
over okay that's right
that's right that's right and and no
officer I will not step out of this
vehicle all right but yeah they're
blaming Dei for everything even that
bridge in Baltimore they called
Baltimore's mayor the Dei mayor like he
was given the job for being black then
they said the shipping company was too
focused on Dei instead of safety but
almost the entire leadership with a
company is white no black people right
if anything the Baltimore mayor he
should have been the one to make it
racist just come out like these crackers
knock down my bridge okay all right and
one of y'all crackers better pay for it
okay and honestly uh 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 ass 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
okay it's the I have a black friend
of the legal system right we don't need
corporate Dei yes we want diversity and
equity and inclusion but we don't want
it from
Vaseline although I'm not going to front
Vaseline has been there for the black
community respect okay right that's
right moisturized
okay look man uh real Dei is only going
to come from black leadership I don't
know how to do it because I'm not a
black leader but I do know how to tell
if it's working just keep an eye on
right-wing media the more they're
freaking out the more progress we're
making okay um this is where charl manne
is flat out wrong so when he says that
we don't need de from Corporate America
it's not true and he says this is going
to come from black people here's the
with that put the graphic back up there
are only nine black CEOs of Fortune 500
companies that means that there are
491 nonblack CEOs of Fortune 500 company
the reality is you are going to need
white people who actually believe in
diversity Equity inclusion for that to
happen and there are examples Al newarth
he was the founder of USA
Today Al newarth grew up in South Dakota
he did not grw up around a lot of black
people but Al newarth understood the
value of diversity so when Al newarth
was the CEO of ganette he made a
declaration that ganette was going to be
the leading company the leading company
in America when it came to the issue of
diversity I had a syndicated column with
creater Syndicate when Al newarth died
in 198 in 1989 uh this here is exactly
what I wrote quote his obituary in the
New York Times read in an industry long
dominated by white men Mr newarth led
the way in the hiring and promotion of
women and minorities tying compensation
to hiring goals by 1988 the proportion
of minorities in ganette newsrooms was
47% higher than the national average
women accounted for nearly 40% of the
company's managers professionals
technicians and sales agents and an
unheard third of quarter of its
newspaper Publishers in Al Newhart's
book confession of an SOB he actually
wrote that when he launched this
particular initiative that people were
angry folks were upset with him and he
said Point Blank if any of y'all have a
problem with me tying your bonuses to
your diversity numbers you're free to
leave the
company and guess what a lot did but you
know what happened you saw an explosion
of black people Hispanics white women
and others who became Publishers news
directors managing editors general
managers of media company and guess what
that guess what that did that forced all
the other media companies to go damn we
about to lose our minority Talent so we
now got to change our programs so guess
what happened night Ritter Cox and the
others begin to change the problem is we
didn't have enough Al newarts in media
to change the industry
he was by
himself there's another example John
langra John langra pres is was CEO is
the CEO of FX the cable network now
you've seen many of those programs
you've seen Donald Glover show uh uh
Atlanta shows along those lines well
guess what John langra uh sat there and
looked at his shows and he then began to
say wait a minute we got a problem it's
too many white guys it's too many white
directors it's too many white
showrunners it's too many white writers
we can't tell different stories by keep
hiring white folks he was quoted saying
listen I like my white guys this is not
going to work so in 2016 John langra
sent out an email to his entire network
and said this has to change in
2021 check this out nearly half of all
episodes on FX were Direct
by people of color women were 35% of
those uh who directed those episodes but
it wasn't just directors now listen to
this quote truthfully I'm not proud of
proud of fact it took me so long to take
concertive action on
inclusiveness he said hold on one second
he said um cuz he' been running the
network at that time for 15 years it's
heartening to see our industry fully
commit to meaningful measur measurable
and permanent change he said when FX was
radically overend indexing in One race
in gender we were by definition
overlooking Talent when we started
looking for talent in every segment of
our population our shows got better when
you're in the talent business diversity
is good for business
now that's why Charlamagne is wrong the
reality is black folks ain't running
these joints we're not running these
companies now we may push folks you may
have a few folks in there
but you need operational leaders
Jonathan Rogers who was the first CEO of
TV1 when Jonathan Rogers joined the
board of Comcast I was like yo that's
awesome he's like and not really I was
like hold up now y'all Jonathan was on
the board of proor and gamble he was on
a board a Nike and I was like Jonathan
are you serious he said I didn't want a
board job he said Roland I want an
operational job I was like but is it a
board job better than operational job he
said no I said Jonathan why he said
because if I had an operational job
that's where you hire he said by the
time it gets to the board we don't
control hiring he said we just sit here
and oversee the
CEO that was an instructive thing he
actually said to me so what we have to
understand is that for Dei to work
you've got to actually have individuals
who are in power for the most part
they're going to be white who are making
the decisions in order to be able to
affect the change this is where
we this is where we again make a mistake
on this very issue and so Mark cubin
he's been very much talking about a lot
of these issues he's been focusing on a
lot of these issues and so I sent Mark
Cuban don't don't pull it up yet I sent
Mark Cuban an email to get his
particular thoughts and I want to get
him on the show uh because he's been
going back and forth against Christopher
rufo against Elon Musk slamming them on
this issue uh of diversity I mean he
he's he's been swinging on them and so I
sent I sent mark an email and I said hey
we love to have you on the show but if
you can't come on the show uh share be
some thoughts and so this is what this
is the email that Mark cubin of course
who of course owner of the Mavericks
well he sold the team but this is what
he sent me back he said Rand he said
look at the top 10 market cap companies
all have Dei programs even Tesla three
of the top four are run by people of
color the other Apple by a gay man all
make Dei a priority my general position
is that I believe Dei is really good for
business people trust people who look
like them they want to do business with
them but to me it's not about hiring
heads of Dei and creating a bureaucracy
or doing commercials like Charlotte ctg
criticized it's about following good Dei
business principles diversity is looking
for great people where others don't
there are a lot of smart people that
ignor it for that are ignored for jobs
find them where others aren't looking e
Equity is where the right goes nuts they
think it's about quotas and making sure
no one has an advantage or can succeed
Beyond anyone else Equity is putting
your employees in a position to succeed
that's it training support Etc if you
hire someone smart no matter what they
look like give them the tools to make
you more successful inclusion make
people feel good about themselves at
work that's just smart business he is
right we need more black leaders but
when you are only 8% of the white collar
Workforce it takes time and he
contradicted himself can racist free out
any more than they are now everything is
about Dei which is another way of saying
people of color aren't qualified they
can't do the job they only get it
because of Dei look at the people that
work for you where do you recruit how do
you put your employees in a position to
succeed how do you make people who are
different feel included you have been an
entrepreneur for a long time talk about
your business and your experience you
don't have to have a Dei program to
practice Dei you just have to run your
business the right way and set standards
for how people are
treated and folks right
there the fundamental issue with Dei
programs as to how they are set up right
now is that they are
performative because the leaders are not
serious the leaders are not taking
proactive
decisions the leaders are not are not
sitting here going wait a minute who has
all of our legal our outside legal work
and our accounting work we're spending
money on catering do we have any black
Caterers we spend how much money on
flowers for the office are we using any
black floors we spend money on audio
visual are we using any black audio
visual companies how much of our money
is going to spend on Advertising oh the
Ad Agency we're using are they diverse
oh we're not going to spend our money
with Lily white ad
agencies oh y'all see how that works
that's what leader does so you can't
have white folks over here talking about
Push Up Up by your bootstrap why y'all
can't get ahead uh why you always
begging the government for money but
then over here we're frozen out of jobs
we're frozen out of contracts and frozen
out of opportunities and then you
complain about
Dei so why need folks to understand and
again it was a comedy segment and it was
5 and A2 minutes I've already gone 38
minutes but the reality when we talk
about what's happening with
Dei these white racist and these haters
they are trying to attack
everything that is positioned black
people where we are today they're suing
the Fearless fund they're targeting
every program in Corporate America
they're targeting law firms you name it
that's what they're doing because of
this and I wrote about it and y'all
everything you're saying I called it's
white
fear they now have to
compete and so what they don't like is
wait a minute y'all now recruiting
HBCU oh no no no no they're not smart
enough see they couldn't get into our
schools so therefore they had to go to
those schools oh yeah oh no you see you
see what happens when they when they
come out of these high schools and they
come to our schools and they on academic
probation the first or second
year but those same people don't want to
confront the econom inequality at those
high schools then those Junior highs
then the elementary schools oh then you
don't want to confront the economic
inequality that's happening in those
neighborhoods oh they don't want to
confront the economic inequality that
those parents went through damn then
don't want to confront the economic
inequality that those grandparents went
through see it's real easy to act like
we're all running from the same Mark and
running a race when we all know that's
not the case
and so the attacks on
Dei they are absolutely
anti-blackness the problem with
corporate America is that there too many
white folks in Corporate America who are
playing games when it comes to Dei
they're handing out Dei jobs and the
people have no budgets they got no p&l
responsibility and the leadership of the
companies is not a
priority in order for Dei to truly be
effective in America we're going to need
a th000 Al
newarts and we're going to need a th
John Lang graphs we're going to need
white Executives white men white
women to actually be honest about their
failures when it comes to
Leading that was what has to happen so
if folks are if you're breaking down
this segment and you are oh my goodness
what went on here
this the whole deal to Corporate America
stop being performative that's why we in
the black own media Collective that's
why we challenge General Motors why we
challenge McDonald's that's why we
challenge these companies you know what
happened Target was like oh we G to
spend $2 billion with black
companies all of a sudden group M
announced 30 or 40 of their companies
some name a lot not they're going to
spend at least 2% of their ad budget
with black with black owned media
we're still waiting because we haven't
gotten any money from group M here at
the Blackstar Network and I've been
meeting with them for a very long time
three years we've gotten zero I've been
meeting with publist for the past
several weeks because we got the Runar
around from publicist for three years
we're finally meeting with Chief
investment officers I got I met with OMD
after getting the runaround met last
year a CIO left so now we're trying to
meet with their Chief investment officer
there are other ad agencies we're trying
to reach as well so here's the deal you
can't tell black people well you're not
building your business well I can't get
the
contract well you need access to Capital
well no I ain't got no
debt I can look right now I got I got
money in the bank so I need a contracts
I can't grow my business I can't hire
more people if I don't have a
contracts see if we talk about the
reality of
Dei nothing is going to change
as long as you have scared timid weak
impotent white corporate
leaders who are unwilling to look their
friends their country club Pals and
their family members in the eye and say
a lot of the that comes out of your
mouth is
racist and the fact of the matter is
America and these companies are not
going to be able to grow if we are do
not have diverse initiatives last Point
charlem man said well he I want di comes
to vaseline un lever owns them unil
lever owns a ton of companies unil lever
owns a ton of companies where we as
black folks buy products oh hell yes
unil lever had better have a strong ass
Dei program and unil lever and Clorox
and Proctor and Gamble and Apple and all
of these companies need to be spending
money with blackowned media need to be
spending money with black law firms need
to be spending money with black
accounting firms need to be spending
money with black engineering firms need
to be spending money with
African-Americans up and down their
business diversity list not Supplier
Diversity business
diversity what we're seeing with the
attacks of Dei are from frankly scared
white people who don't want to confront
systemic racism in Corporate America but
this is a moment when white
leadership while you have these lawsuits
going on has to have the courage to say
we are going anywhere we going to do
what Al newarth did and that's say if
you don't like the fact that we support
diversity Equity inclusion you white
critic are more more than happy to leave
cuz I bet you we're going to be
successful and finding your
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