“Didn’t Earn It,” or “Definitely Earned It?”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is standing agency on Variety, Fairness and Inclusion (DEI) insurance policies, regardless of mounting pushback in opposition to the controversial packages and initiatives.
Some on-line commentators labeled Scott as a “DEI mayor” within the wake of the Baltimore Bridge collapse final 12 months when a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, leading to six individuals shedding their lives.
Scott, in an interview with The Related Press, stated he noticed the assaults on him as a part of a broader backlash in opposition to Black Individuals and different traditionally disenfranchised teams in management. He stated he rejects the premise and insists he was duly elected to guide the Appeal Metropolis. He was reelected to workplace in November after defeating Republican challenger Shannon Wright.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is standing agency on variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) insurance policies, regardless of mounting pushback in opposition to the controversial packages and initiatives. (Kenneth Ok. Lam/Baltimore Solar/Tribune Information Service by way of Getty Photos)
Scott is now doubling down on DEI and stated he’s launching a “Definitely Earned It” marketing campaign for Black Historical past Month, which is happening all through February. The time period is a play on the phrases “Didn’t Earn It,” which opponents of DEI use to spotlight what they are saying is its lack of meritocracy baked into DEI.
He stated he desires to set the file straight on DEI insurance policies, which he views as enacting American values.
“Because we have to be bigger and Blacker and louder than ever,” Scott advised The Related Press in an interview addressing why he’s launching the marketing campaign.
“We cannot allow that darkness to try to come and overtake our light, because darkness can’t overtake light, only light can overcome darkness. Don’t run away, don’t hide, don’t shrink in the moment, be who you are and push back in every single way that you can.”
Scott stated that his “Definitely Earned It” marketing campaign might be an growth of Black Historical past Month, highlighting the influence Black individuals have had on the nation.
In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits within the water after working into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024 in Baltimore. Some commentators claimed Scott was a DEI rent within the wake of the tragedy. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Photos)
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“We’ll be noting that these people weren’t DEI — well, that they were DEI, but DEI in the sense that they definitely earned it,” Scott advised The AP.
“They earned every single thing that they accomplished because it wasn’t given to them. We can show people what it truly means when you have to work 10 times as hard, when you have to work through systems that were built up for you to fail, when you have to make sure that you leave the door open for other folks coming behind you. And in my case, DEI means duly elected incumbent, but I also definitely earned it.”
The Trump administration is on a mission to intestine all packages and initiatives related to DEI throughout the federal authorities, arguing it has lowered requirements and promoted a woke agenda.
In his first week again in workplace, Trump signed an govt order ending DEI places of work and initiatives throughout the federal workforce. Final week, Trump signed two govt orders banning “radical gender ideology” and DEI initiatives from all branches of the U.S. army.
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Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth zeroed in on the controversial packages too, releasing a memorandum final week stating that DEI is incompatible with Division of Protection (DoD) values, and created a process power to deal with the abolition of this system.
The Trump administration is on a mission to intestine all packages and initiatives related to DEI throughout the federal authorities, arguing it has lowered requirements and promote a woke agenda. (AP Picture/Matt Rourke)
Important manufacturers reminiscent of Walmart, McDonald’s, Amazon, Ford and Lowe’s have all begun rolling again DEI initiatives in response to a cultural shift that included buyer backlash, stress from conservative-leaning teams and activists, and attainable authorized ramifications.
DEI got here into sharp focus once more final week when President Donald Trump stated the DC airplane crash catastrophe — between a Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airways jet colliding midair close to Ronald Reagan Washington Nationwide Airport — was attributable to DEI, although he acknowledged that the reason for the crash has but to be decided.
Trump highlighted efforts by the Biden administration to decrease aviation requirements and stated he believed DEI performed an element as a result of he has “common sense.”
Scott stated he confronted backlash over the Baltimore Bridge collapse with none justification.
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He famous that the bridge was constructed earlier than he was born, constructed by only a few minorities and the ship was not piloted by a Black particular person.
“What these folks who unfortunately think that way think is that unless you are a straight white male from a certain background — because I want my poor white brothers and sisters to understand that they’re not talking about them either, right — unless you are from a certain background, wealthy historic families with straight white Christian men, then you should never be in a position of power and that your thoughts and opinions don’t matter,” Scott stated.
“And that is the saddest part of it all.”
Fox Information’ Alexandra Koch and Breck Dumas contributed to this report.
