[caption id="attachment_97799" align="alignleft" width="346"] Source: Cam Bonelli/Laurel Leader-Call[/caption] Mr. 'White Dads Can Be Deadbeats TOO' White Kenya N Rahmaan State Auditor Shad White is attempting to hold his position and extend his reach as he attacks DEI initiatives. DEI is the acronym for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. DEI was implemented in 1965 under the Lyndon B. Johnson administration and was critical to the Civil Rights initiative. According to The Training Industry: Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a term used to describe programs and policies that encourage representation and participation of diverse groups of people, including people of different genders, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, religions, cultures, ages, sexual orientations and people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills and expertise. It is an expansion of the term “diversity and inclusion” (DEI) to reflect the growing focus on equity in organizations. More than a quarter of a hundred jurisdictions have attempted to ban DEI during the past decade. According to the Department of Education, President Obama, with his administration's assistance, encouraged institutions to attract and admit students from various backgrounds and experiences while supporting and retaining these students once on campus. Two of the most politically significant jurisdictions led the DEI dismantlement. Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott have aggressively tried to abolish these higher learning programs. Arguably, programs like DEI and Affirmative Action are only in place to include everyone and ensure better lives and prosperity within a democracy. [caption id="attachment_97798" align="alignleft" width="351"] The Iowa Board of Regents[/caption] The state auditor blamed fatherlessness on deadbeat dads, omitting factors like parental alienation or overreaching government control. Likewise, discrimination and societal racism contribute tremendously to fathers being absent. White let the public know an important opinion. Black fathers are not the only deadbeats abandoning their children. According to the report, White dads can be deadbeats, too (Shad White, 2022). The idea of a public official needing to verify that fathers don't have to be nonwhite to qualify as a 'bad' father is dismaying. Identifying problems with racism in how parents and citizens alike are portrayed will only benefit the country. https://youtube.com/live/ItNUZJWX2NM Targeting nonpresent fathers without pinpointing the direct causes for the behavior will multiply and decrease the problem. Additionally, advocates for dismanteling programs that benefit disadvantaged individuals hold potential societal issues. Banning DEI will undoubtedly hinder nonwhite Americans from obtaining gainful employment. The result of returning to a workforce wrought with provable discrimination without any repercussions for the offender will rewind the historical clock by 60 years. Child support enforcement may tighten its reigns on so-called low-income debtors, making those same parents susceptible to more punishments when DEI is abolished from education and employment practices. Once officials outlaw DEI in Mississippi, possible employees stand to miss out on the following: -Diverse learning environments that help students sharpen their critical thinking and analytical skills; -skills that prepare students to succeed in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world; -the knowledge that helps students break down stereotypes and reduce bias; -and funds that enable schools to fulfill their role in opening doors for students of all backgrounds (The Department of Education, 2016). It is time that we as a society stop allowing individuals with personal agendas to further their careers and lives by sacrificing the public good. Education is the key to obtaining better lives not only in the United States but worldwide. Instead of dismantling programs deemed ineffective, a close examination can determine strategies to improve overall operations. Mississippi has never been a strong supporter of racial fairness or equality relating to Black America. Every politician in Mississippi needs to concentrate on lifting its citizens out of poverty, Black AND White. Whether fathers are involved or not is irrelevant. The children still need every opportunity available to assist in their achievements. Labels, such as Deadbeat, are detrimental to American progress.
