All the ways Kamala Harris could strengthen DEI policies if elected president… despite her own serious problems keeping her staff up

Vice President Kamala Harris plans to implement more policies focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) if elected president, despite growing opposition to those programs.

Harris has openly criticized Republicans’ efforts to block DEI principles as she campaigns across the country.

She previously criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for trying to eliminate DEI principles from state government, calling it “extremist” and accusing the leader of not understanding the “true meaning” of the term.

Her renewed DEI push comes at a time when business leaders are reportedly “increasingly wary” and even “fed up” with DEI programs, citing negative reactions from employees and customers.

But that doesn’t seem to deter the vice president, who has a long track record of promoting “equality and inclusion” in nearly every sector.

Harris has repeatedly called for government to strive for “equality” rather than “equality,” arguing that some people of different races and genders need more from the federal government than others.

“Equity says we need to pay attention to that and especially compensate for the historical problems that come with the lack of resources being put into communities,” Harris said during her college campaign tour, speaking to a young audience.

Harris spoke extensively about the need to address historical “inequities” during her failed 2020 presidential campaign and even appeared open to the need for racial reparations.

“It’s complicated,” she said during a 2019 interview with podcaster Jemele Hill, when asked about the financial reparations the government offered to the Black descendants of slaves.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks with Gianna Floyd, the daughter of George Floyd,

United States Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the 2022 Essence Festival of Culture

“I honestly don’t think that writing a check is going to be enough,” she said. “I really don’t. And I think the worst thing that can happen is that checks are written and everyone says, ‘OK, stop doing this now,’ and we don’t address the systemic inequities that are deep and require investment.”

Harris spoke to Hill about her plan to force the government to require companies to prove they pay women the same as men or risk a hefty fine.

“That will get their attention,” she said with a grin.

Harris also proposed paying teachers more based on location, race of school and student.

“If a child has one black teacher by the end of third grade, they are 13 percent more likely to go to college,” she explained. “If that child has two black teachers by then, they are 32 percent more likely to go to college.”

She said her policy aims to “connect the dots” in the education system, giving teachers more money to work in high-risk urban communities and working with black colleges to address education challenges.

Harris also worked with popular liberal Democrats to advance equality policy proposals.

In July 2019, Harris launched a “climate equity plan” with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which explicitly linked racial justice to climate change so that taxpayer dollars could be targeted toward specific communities.

“Indigenous communities, Black and Brown communities, and the youth of our country are crying out and demanding justice. We need them at the table from the beginning,” Harris wrote when announcing her proposed legislation.

Vice President Kamala Harris listens during a roundtable discussion at the NAACP National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (C) attend the Essence Festival of Culture at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 6, 2024

Harris also teamed up with Sen. Elizabeth Warren to introduce a bill that would use $100 billion in government funding to help Black families buy homes.

She later announced her proposal at the 2019 Essence festival, claiming that the typical black family had just $10 in wealth for every $100 in wealth a white family has.

“Ladies, if we are going to fix what is wrong, we have to address the racial wealth gap in our country,” she told the audience during a panel discussion with Al Sharpton.

Harris continued her advocacy for equality after being chosen by Democratic candidate Joe Biden as his running mate.

Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Reverend Al Sharpton discuss issues at a Harlem restaurant

Kamala Harris speaks at the National Action Network convention

In November 2020, Harris explained in a campaign video that equality is more important to the country than parity.

“Equality suggests, ‘Oh, everybody should get the same amount,'” Harris said. “The problem with that is, everybody doesn’t start at the same place. So if we all get the same amount, but you started over there and I started over here, we could get the same amount, but you’re still going to be so far behind me.”

Harris argued that government should instead strive for “equality.”

“Equal treatment means we all end up at the same point,” she said.

Critics were shocked by the video, warning that it was a vision of communism, where state power should be used to ensure equal outcomes, not equal opportunity.

As vice president, Harris has championed the principles of equality at all levels of government.

When Harris took her new role, she made it a priority to hire a diverse workforce. But after bullying her staff and setting unrealistic demands, her employees left en masse, DailyMail.com reported.

“If we want fair outcomes, we have to understand what differences are and then account for those differences. Then we want equal outcomes,” she said at a meeting at Hampton University in September.

Harris and Biden also emphasized their commitment to diversity in staff and Cabinet.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris attend a meeting at the White House

US Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and US President Joe Biden meet with supporters at the White House

Biden has repeatedly boasted about his choice of Harris as his running mate as evidence of his administration’s commitment to equality.

“For me, the values ​​of diversity, equity and inclusion are literally — and this is not a joke — the core strengths of America. That’s why I’m proud to have the most diverse administration in history, leveraging all of the talents of our country,” he said in May. “And it starts at the top, with the vice president.”

Biden signed an executive order in 2023 to “further advance racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government.”

Ahead of the campaign season, Harris made the issue of DEI a priority, warning her supporters that the ideas and policies behind it are under attack.

“They’re trying to undo businesses and other private sectors, sectors that are paying attention to this,” she said.

“And we have to fight this. We have to fight this because it will lead to very bad outcomes.”