Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott claims DEI label is being weaponized by racists ‘who don’t have the courage to say the n-word’ and warns ‘they should be afraid’
Racists have started using DEI as a disparagement to any successful black person because they are too cowardly to use the N-word anymore, the mayor of Baltimore has claimed.
Brandon Scott was elected to the city’s top job in 2020 but was routinely attacked online by opponents as a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) appointment despite winning 70 percent of the vote.
The mayor, who has won plaudits for his handling of Tuesday’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, warned that the term is being weaponized by the far right as just the latest racist euphemism.
“We know what they want to say, but they don’t have the courage to say the N-word,” he told Joy Reid on MSNBC’s morning show.
“I know and you know that black men and especially young black men have been the bogeyman and for those who are racist and think only straight rich white men have a say in everything.”
X owner Elon Musk retweeted the false claim from one of his favorite far-right accounts, gaining 25 million views before undoing his retweet as the backlash mounted
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott was elected to office in 2020 with 70 percent of the vote
DEI initiatives aim to increase the number of people from underrepresented ethnic groups in the workforce.
But they have come under fire from states across the country who say they amount to a reversal of discrimination against better-qualified candidates.
Some have called it an acronym for “Didn’t Earn It,” but Mayor Scott said in his case it stands for “Duly Elected Incumbent.”
“The fact that I don’t believe in their untrue and wrong ideology and the fact that I am very proud of my heritage and who I am and where I come from scares them,” he added.
“Being in my position means that their way of thinking, their way of life, to be comfortable while everyone else suffers, is in danger and they have to be afraid because that is my purpose in life.”
One far-right account received 25 million views for a tweet calling Scott “Baltimore’s DEI mayor” after it was retweeted by X owner Elon Musk.
‘It’s going to get a lot worse. Prepare accordingly.” wrote the poster.
Musk later undid his retweet after an angry response from platform users, and a “community note” was added, clarifying: “Brandon Scott was elected Mayor of Baltimore in 2020 with >70% of the vote.” He did not get into office through DEI practices, appointments, etc.”
Scott poses for a photo at the 2021 Preakness horse racing festival
National Transport Safety Bureau investigators were back on board the stricken Dali container ship on Wednesday as two more bodies were recovered during the search for the construction workers killed when the ship collided on Tuesday.
Scott told MSNBC host Joy Reid: ‘We’ve come a long way, and we still have a long way to go’
Scott effectively won Baltimore’s mayoral election in June 2020 when he secured the Democratic nomination for the role in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans ten to one.
He ran a campaign focused on youthful energy, progressive ideas and experience, and promised to tackle long-standing challenges in the city such as gun violence and substance abuse.
A city council member since 2011, he emerged victorious from a field of more than two dozen Democrats, including incumbent Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young and former Mayor Sheila Dixon, making him one of the youngest mayors in the U.S. at 36.
But during his tenure he has faced rape threats against his mother and graffiti on a city bus threatening to hang him.
His announcement last year that he was expecting a child with fiancée Hana Pugh prompted some to portray him as “just a thug,” creating “another illegitimate black baby in Baltimore.”
Prominent Republicans, including Ron DeSantis, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, have passed laws preventing state money from being used for DEI initiatives, with Florida’s governor calling them “woke indoctrination.”
But some on the right stepped in to defend Scott against claims that he is a beneficiary of the system.
“This is an ugly racist tweet,” wrote former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh.
Claims that Scott was a DEI appointment sparked outrage online
“I have all kinds of problems with DEI ideology and DEI practice. But if these idiots are simply going to use DEI as a synonym for “black,” then deal with it. This is so monstrously stupid and insulting,” Jonah Goldberg added.
“Anyone who replaces the word ‘DEI’ with ‘Black’ to engage in racist tropes is a racist,” New York Congressman Ritchie Torres tweeted.
“Anyone who replaces the word ‘Zionist’ with ‘Jew’ to engage in anti-Semitic tropes is an anti-Semite.”
“Be aware of why black people cannot be convinced that racism is a thing of the past. Exhibit 985,576,342…” Monique Pressley added.