David Fryson: The big lie about DEI

By David M. Fryson | Charleston Gazette-Mail

This article was originally published by Charleston Gazette-Mail, a major, independent, award-winning news service based in Charleston.

The “big lie” is a propaganda technique in which a colossal, outrageous falsehood is repeated constantly and stated as a matter-of-fact truth. These lies are intended to manipulate public opinion and disorient the public.

There are elements to the development and spreading of a big lie. First, the lie is so large that it seems unbelievable that it could be fabricated, forcing people to question their own perception of reality. Second, the lie is told repeatedly across various media until it becomes a dominant narrative. Third, the big lie often targets deep-seated prejudices, grievances or fears in the audience. Finally, the lie is maintained even when facts have been presented to refute it.

President Donald Trump and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and their administrations are experts in utilizing the big lie structure.

For instance, Trump and Morrisey have made the term DEI to be a catchall for criticizing programs designed for fairness. DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a framework of policies and practices developed to ensure fair treatment and full participation of all qualified people. DEI promotes a workplace or environment where diverse backgrounds, identities and perspectives are valued, welcomed and respected.

The big lie against DEI is that its programs are discriminatory, divisive and a threat to merit-based opportunities. Interestingly, DEI was designed as a moderately conservative response and counter to the former affirmative action policies that attempted to provide fairness for past racial and gender discrepancies in hiring and employment by the expedited hiring of discriminated groups.

Rather than hiring and promotions based upon characteristics such as race and gender, DEI attempted to provide minimum standards that would provide fair and equitable hiring and promotion practices across the board. While DEI is often thought to support underrepresented groups, studies show white women have consistently seen the highest gains from DEI programs.

The Trump and Morrisey administrations’ attempts to abolish DEI programs is based upon a big lie that these programs are discriminatory and not merit based. DEI initiatives reduce systemic disparities and foster a workforce that represents national demographics and verified qualifications.

DEI is being used as a dog whistle that employs coded language to evoke racial fears and anxieties. The intentional misuse of the term DEI fuels the false claim that these programs disproportionately benefit people of color, despite research showing that white applicants continue to receive preferential treatment in hiring.

Since the Trump administration has been in power approximately 14 months, the current presidential cabinet provides an example of what happens when DEI standards are not employed in hiring decisions. The Trump cabinet is arguably a group of the most incompetent, unprepared and unprofessional individuals to ever occupy those positions in our nation’s history.

Commentators from a wide spectrum agree that the second Trump administration’s non-diverse cabinet exhibits significant incompetence, frequently prioritizing personal loyalty over professional expertise. Media outlets and observers have characterized the team as “unqualified,” “careless” and a “cabinet of incompetence.”
DEI for this cabinet means “Didn’t Earn It.” Consider this list of incompetents in the Trump Administration:

    ⁃    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: Hegseth is the most politically inappropriate head of the military in our history. His lack of high-level military management experience is apparent virtually every time he faces the cameras.
    ⁃    Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: An environmental lawyer and prominent vaccine skeptic with no formal medical or public health training and has a history of promoting medical misinformation. His lack of qualifications is obvious.
    ⁃    Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard: A former U.S. Representative with no direct experience in the intelligence community. Critics highlight her lack of deep-level intelligence oversight experience.
    ⁃    Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: The former governor of South Dakota lacks federal agency management and national security background necessary for the role. Recent revelations suggest her husband’s alleged sexual proclivities make her a security risk.

 ⁃    FBI Director Kash Patel: Limited law enforcement experience compared to typical FBI candidates. Patel lacks advanced degrees in relevant fields such as criminology or law.

These are just a few examples of how the old system of hiring by proximity is inappropriate and does not lead to retaining the brightest and best. The anti-DEI rhetoric is designed to invoke racial fears and anxieties while the principles of DEI are designed to provide fundamental fairness. It is time to confront and debunk the big lie that DEI promotes unpreparedness and unqualified participation. The next time someone uses the big lie against DEI, remember how the unqualified Trump Administration’s cabinet has been developed using anti-DEI principles.

David M. Fryson, the senior pastor of the New First Baptist Church of Kanawha City, is a retired lawyer and retired founding vice president of the now-defunct West Virginia University Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.