This post was originally published on this site
I
t may seem like the crusade against DEI initiatives sprang out of nowhere in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on affirmative action. But the arguments of DEI opponents—who claim the initiatives give minorities an unfair advantage and actively discriminate against white males—echo messages that have been circulating for more than
150 years.The Reconstruction Era. After the Civil War and abolishment of slavery, structural barriers prevented newly freed slaves and their families from accessing housing and work. Meanwhile, many white Americans felt wronged by Reconstruction and felt that freedom and equality would harm White people, according to the