{"id":1921715,"date":"2023-04-30T21:13:19","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T01:13:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/naacp-calls-for-firing-of-virginias-diversity-chief-for-criticizing-dei-movement\/"},"modified":"2023-04-30T21:16:20","modified_gmt":"2023-05-01T01:16:20","slug":"naacp-calls-for-firing-of-virginias-diversity-chief-for-criticizing-dei-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/naacp-calls-for-firing-of-virginias-diversity-chief-for-criticizing-dei-movement\/","title":{"rendered":"NAACP Calls for Firing of Virginia\u2019s Diversity Chief for Criticizing DEI Movement"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnaacp-calls-for-firing-of-virginias-diversity-chief-for-criticizing-dei-movement%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1921715&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Martin Brown: The Unconventional DEI Bureaucrat<\/h2>\n<section class=\"post-body\">\n<p>Meet Martin Brown, Chief Diversity Officer and Director of the Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion under Gov. Glenn Youngkin. But don&#8217;t expect him to fit the mold of a typical DEI bureaucrat. In fact, Brown would like nothing better than to see his job disappear.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_4\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\" data-google-query-id=\"CLDplLv40v4CFcKpnwodG78GSA\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/6177\/pjmedia\/news-and-politics\/300x250_4_0__container__\" style=\"border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; width: 300px; height: 250px;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/6aceac7e2870949d572d1021e776d7fe.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\" id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/6177\/pjmedia\/news-and-politics\/300x250_4_0\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" name=\"\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" data-is-safeframe=\"true\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;\" data-google-container-id=\"4\" data-load-complete=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"thm-piano-mop\"><\/div>\n<p>During a speech to VMI cadets, Brown praised VMI for educating the leaders of tomorrow and added, \u201cWe are living in a crazy time right now,\u201d later adding, \u201cWe can\u2019t continue to operate like we have as a country, as a state, and as institutions of higher learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t ascribe perpetual victimization or even motives because they\u2019re different. Acknowledging those truths frees us up to deal with the real issues of today \u2026 it\u2019s creating a sense of division in the greatest country in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, not everyone agreed with those sentiments. The Virginia chapter of the NAACP issued a statement, \u201cThe speech was filled with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-strip-gop-amendments-in-passing-budget-resolution\/\" title=\"Democrats Strip GOP Amendments in Passing Budget Resolution\">partisan talking points<\/a> and erroneous assumptions and demonstrated Mr. Brown\u2019s lack of fitness for the critically important position he occupies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Brown implied that the very existence of the office he occupies creates division and what he called \u2018stink\u2019 among the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia. His comments are not in keeping with either the intent of the office nor the spirit of unity of people supported by the Virginia State Conference NAACP. He should resign immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Why is it that those who do their absolute best to create division and disunity in America yell the loudest when someone calls them out for it?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/virginia\/2023\/04\/virginia-naacp-calls-for-chief-dei-officer-to-resign-after-reckless-speech-to-vmi-faculty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WTOP:<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>During the Q&#038;A portion after his speech, a faculty member in the audience, who identified herself as a minority, complained about current DEI policies mandated by the Virginia General Assembly. The same faculty member indicated she would like to see a shift away from DEI, which Brown said he agreed with.<\/p>\n<p>Then, he didn\u2019t mince words.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDEI is dead,\u201d he told the audience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was mandated by the general assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy of civil discourse, civility, treating people with the golden rule,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Brown, a graduate of D.C.\u2019s historically Black college Howard University, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/charlie-cook-addresses-most-divided-time-in-american-politics-at-state-legislators-summit\/\" title=\"Charlie Cook Addresses \u2018Most Divided Time\u2019 in American Politics at State Legislators Summit\">told audience members<\/a> that it is his and Gov. Glenn Youngkin\u2019s position <strong>that diversity and inclusion can inform the mission of institutions such as VMI, but that it can\u2019t be the mission itself. <\/strong>(emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/che-guevara-loving-smithsonian-enriched-by-stimulus-bill\/\" title=\"Che Guevara-Loving Smithsonian Enriched by Stimulus Bill\">div-gpt-300x250_5<\/a>&#8221; class=&#8221;gpt-ad ad-250 text-center&#8221;><br \/>\n      <script type=\"text\/javascript\">googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-300x250_5'); });<\/script>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Martin Brown: The Unconventional Chief Diversity Officer<\/h2>\n<p>Meet Martin Brown, the Chief Diversity Officer and Director of the Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion under Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Unlike most DEI bureaucrats, Brown doesn&#8217;t believe in making diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) the end-all and be-all of academic institutions. In fact, he would like nothing better than to see his job disappear.<\/p>\n<h3>The Problem with DEI<\/h3>\n<p>Brown argues that the pursuit of equity means \u201cyou\u2019re not pursuing merit or excellence or achievement.\u201d He believes that there are other criteria \u2014 objective and unbiased \u2014 that can measure excellence. And if excellence isn\u2019t the goal, then why not just come out and say so?<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s not that Brown is against diversity and inclusion in schools. He just believes that basing an entire society on counting people by the color of their noses to define \u201cequity\u201d is, by definition, discriminatory and exclusionary.<\/p>\n<h3>The Controversy<\/h3>\n<p>Not everyone agrees with Brown&#8217;s views. State Sen. Lamont Bagby, chairman of the state legislative Black Caucus, called Brown&#8217;s statements &#8220;disingenuous&#8221; and questioned why he was still in his job. The Virginia NAACP also called for his resignation, stating that &#8220;diversity, equity, and inclusion have been a staple of corporate organizations for many years, so to say that it\u2019s dead at an institution of higher learning is very troubling.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But Brown&#8217;s supporters argue that he is simply advocating for a more objective and unbiased approach to measuring excellence. The NAACP is avoiding the issue by trashing him for what he didn&#8217;t say, rather than what he did say.<\/p>\n<h3>The Bottom Line<\/h3>\n<p>At the end of the day, Brown&#8217;s unconventional views on DEI have sparked controversy. But he remains committed to graduating exceptional cadets and believes that there are better ways to measure excellence than by counting noses.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>DEI shouldn&#8217;t be the end-all and be-all of academic institutions.<\/li>\n<li>There are other criteria that can measure excellence.<\/li>\n<li>Excellence should be the goal, not just equity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>ntainer__&#8221; style=&#8221;border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; width: 300px; height: 250px;&#8221;><iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/6aceac7e2870949d572d1021e776d7fe.safeframe.googlesyndication.com\/safeframe\/1-0-40\/html\/container.html\" id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/6177\/pjmedia\/news-and-politics\/300x250_4_0\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" name=\"\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" data-is-safeframe=\"true\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"border: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;\" data-google-container-id=\"4\" data-load-complete=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"thm-piano-mop\"><\/div>\n<p>During a speech to VMI cadets, Brown praised VMI for educating the leaders of tomorrow and added, \u201cWe are living in a crazy time right now,\u201d later adding, \u201cWe can\u2019t continue to operate like we have as a country, as a state, and as institutions of higher learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t ascribe perpetual victimization or even motives because they\u2019re different. Acknowledging those truths frees us up to deal with the real issues of today \u2026 it\u2019s creating a sense of division in the greatest country in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, not everyone agreed with those sentiments. The Virginia chapter of the NAACP issued a statement, \u201cThe speech was filled with partisan talking points and erroneous assumptions and demonstrated Mr. Brown\u2019s lack of fitness for the critically important position he occupies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMr. Brown implied that the very existence of the office he occupies creates division and what he called \u2018stink\u2019 among the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia. His comments are not in keeping with either the intent of the office nor the spirit of unity of people supported by the Virginia State Conference NAACP. He should resign immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Why is it that those who do their absolute best to create division and disunity in America yell the loudest when someone calls them out for it?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/virginia\/2023\/04\/virginia-naacp-calls-for-chief-dei-officer-to-resign-after-reckless-speech-to-vmi-faculty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WTOP:<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>During the Q&#038;A portion after his speech, a faculty member in the audience, who identified herself as a minority, complained about current DEI policies mandated by the Virginia General Assembly. The same faculty member indicated she would like to see a shift away from DEI, which Brown said he agreed with.<\/p>\n<p>Then, he didn\u2019t mince words.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDEI is dead,\u201d he told the audience.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was mandated by the general assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy of civil discourse, civility, treating people with the golden rule,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Brown, a graduate of D.C.\u2019s historically Black college Howard University, told audience members that it is his and Gov. Glenn Youngkin\u2019s position <strong>that diversity and inclusion can inform the mission of institutions such as VMI, but that it can\u2019t be the mission itself. <\/strong>(emphasis added)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_5\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\">                 <script type=\"text\/javascript\">                     googletag.cmd.push(function () {                         googletag.display(\"div-gpt-300x250_5\");                         \/\/googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot[\"div-gpt-300x250_5\"]])                     });                 <\/script>             <\/p>\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/6177\/pjmedia\/news-and-politics\/300x250_5_0__container__\" style=\"border: 0pt none; width: 300px; height: 0px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Exactly. That was the original intent of diversity and inclusion in schools. Basing an entire society on counting people by the color of their noses to define \u201cequity\u201d is, by definition, discriminatory and exclusionary.<\/p>\n<p>Brown who is black, argued at VMI that the pursuit of equity means \u201cyou\u2019re not pursuing merit or excellence or achievement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor him to hold that role as a Black man and to continue to collect a six-figure salary in that role and go to VMI and make statements like that, I think that takes disingenuousness to another level,\u201d said State Sen. Lamont Bagby, chairman of the state legislative Black Caucus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf diversity is the wrong mission, isn\u2019t he in the wrong job?\u201d Robert Barnette Jr., the Virginia NAACP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/dc-md-va\/2023\/04\/29\/martin-brown-resignation-calls-dei-virginia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">president asked<\/a>. \u201cDiversity, equity, and inclusion have been a staple of corporate organizations for many years, so to say that it\u2019s dead at an institution of higher learning is very troubling and that\u2019s why we called for his resignation. This man is in the wrong job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Why make DEI the end-all and be-all of academic institutions? All Brown is saying is that there are other criteria \u2014 objective and unbiased \u2014 that can measure excellence. And if excellence isn\u2019t the goal, then why not just come out and say so?<\/p>\n<p>The NAACP is avoiding the issue. It\u2019s not what Brown said; it\u2019s what he didn\u2019t say that they\u2019re trashing him for. In that case, he should go right on not parroting their talking points about DEI and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/naacp-calls-for-firing-of-virginias-diversity-chief-for-criticizing-dei-movement\/\" title=\"NAACP Calls for Firing of Virginia\u2019s Diversity Chief for Criticizing DEI Movement\">continue graduating exceptional cadets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/it-looks-like-the-biden-doj-probably-has-spies-within-the-catholic-church\/\" title=\"It Looks Like the Biden DOJ Probably Has Spies Within the Catholic Church\">div-gpt-300x250_6<\/a>&#8221; class=&#8221;gpt-ad ad-250 text-center&#8221;>                 <script type=\"text\/javascript\">                     googletag.cmd.push(function () {                         googletag.display(\"div-gpt-300x250_6\");                         \/\/googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot[\"div-gpt-300x250_6\"]])                     });                 <\/script>             <\/p>\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/6177\/pjmedia\/news-and-politics\/300x250_6_0__container__\" style=\"border: 0pt none; width: 300px; height: 0px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"thm-piano-promo\">\n<div class=\"tp-container-inner\" style=\"height: 246px; width: 456px;\"><iframe id=\"offer_5f004691ffcbd062695c-0\" name=\"offer_5f004691ffcbd062695c-0\" title=\"offer_5f004691ffcbd062695c-0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"payment\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/buy.tinypass.com\/checkout\/template\/cacheableShow?aid=XGSTHNtMcq&#038;templateId=OTLSWHS8F50O&#038;offerId=fakeOfferId&#038;experienceId=EXGVP57HPC8X&#038;iframeId=offer_5f004691ffcbd062695c-0&#038;displayMode=inline&#038;pianoIdUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fid.tinypass.com%2Fid%2F&#038;widget=template&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Fpjmedia.com\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"overflow: hidden; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; width: 456px; height: 246px;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s safe to say that Martin Brown, Chief Diversity Officer and Director of the Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion under Gov. Glenn Youngkin, is not your typical DEI bureaucrat. In fact, Brown would like nothing better than to see his job disappear. During a speech to VMI cadets, Brown praised VMI for educating the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1921716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[3755,5772,5707,16574,6759,4274,5577,13195,15239],"class_list":["post-1921715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-calls","tag-chief","tag-criticizing","tag-dei","tag-diversity","tag-firing","tag-movement","tag-naacp","tag-virginias"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1921715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1921715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1921716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1921715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1921715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1921715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}