End of DEI. Was it harmful or beneficial to Black Americans?

Since Dei (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) was first introduced to Americans it has often had citizens having good thoughts and bad thoughts about it. There was a time when it was useful for Black Americans. Such as when Desegregation occurred many Black scholars dreamed of going to a Predominantly White Institute. Having a name such as Harvard and Yale on your resume could get you a high-paying job. The problem that has arisen with it is whether Black students can understand the material taught in classrooms at these universities. Many Black scholars can attend such universities due to sports. It is not a surprise that young Black Americans are great at sports, I feel it’s every Black mother’s dream to give birth to the next Michael Jordan, or Lebron James. Continue reading to explore the possibilities of why Black students are falling behind in these universities, how it affects the students after college, and why I may agree with ending DEI.

There is something that is affecting the youth of Black America, and that’s illiteracy. There was a study done and it was concluded that 84% of Black students lack understanding in mathematics and 85% of Black students lack understanding in reading skills according to TheHill.com 

This raises a lot of questions and concerns for many Black Americans, and I have spoken with many disagreeing. When I am met with disagreement, I ask them to name a time when we hear young Black boys mentioning that they would like to be something other than a rapper or athlete. As mentioned, many amounts of times, the youth today do not have many prominent intellectual Black leaders to admire. 

Another part of the illiteracy that many Black children are struggling with is the lack of funding for education in K-12. With the pay struggles of being in academia, many great educators are fleeing from teaching, which is a major concern for students. With the lack of great educators, the illiteracy rate for not only Black children but all children will increase. The government should provide Educators with a livable wage. Without proper pay, Educators will continue leaving the field resulting in classrooms having too many students in one class which can harm students receiving the 1 on 1 attention needed.

With the lack of K-12 education many Black students are athletes and universities are interested in them for sports. With these Black students coming from schools where their lack of understanding of the many basic things needed for University many Black students fall behind in their classes. This severely affects them as their grades are extremely low, often fail courses. This is a lack of advantage for college athletes who do not make it to professional sports and become a regular civilian after college. Entering the job market with no valuable skills such as communication skills, writing, mathematics, and much more. I have spoken with many graduates of colleges who were only accepted due to their athletic skills, and they describe depression, hopelessness, and low self-esteem. Unable to compete with their peers in the job market due to the only skill they had worked on was athletic training. I urge Black parents who have children who play sports to also support them with their education. Inform them that they should focus on their education as much as they focus on athletic training.

For those Non-Athletic Black students who have used DEI to become accepted into Predominantly White Institutes, it has pros and cons. Being able to become accepted into a university because of one’s skin color is a privilege. I feel Universities should look at a student’s test scores, as well as their background experience. When society places value on one’s skin color it hinders them. Speaking with many Black scholars who used DEI they often complained about how they felt bad due to asking themselves did they only got accepted because they are Black or if they were smart enough to have gotten into the university. If one only became accepted because of their skin color, they often have trouble keeping afloat in their classes. These universities are accustomed to the smartest of the smartest students. If one does not have the proper K-12 Education, it can cause suffering and depression. As mentioned previously I believe DEI can be used as a pro if one received the proper K-12 education and can be given an upper hand in the competitive admissions due to their race.

To conclude I think DEI has been beneficial to Black Americans in the past, but I think it should be removed. Black parents should prioritize education in their children’s lives, making that a priority over sports as the odds of becoming a pro athletic player are slim to none. The government should put more attention and money into education, especially for low-income surrounding areas. Black Americans should know that we are smart, we should not need a program to help us become accepted into university. We should be accepted into a top-tier university because of our minds, we are an intelligent and strong race. Universities should not require listing your race on a college application, society should focus less on race and more on equality and love.