Marc Morial: DEI Is About American Values, Gov’t and Private Companies Should Hire People Based on It, Not Merit

BOLDUAN This morning there ░░░░░░░░ new details in President ░░░░░░░░ s effort to gut ░░░░░░░░ federal government of diversity ░░░░░░░░ and inclusion programs A ░░░░░░░░ sent to agency leaders ░░░░░░░░ says all federal staffers ░░░░░░░░ work on these programs ░░░░░░░░ to be put on ░░░░░░░░ leave effective 5 00 ░░░░░░░░ today as here s ░░░░░░░░ quote The agency takes ░░░░░░░░ to close and end ░░░░░░░░ DEIA initiatives offices and ░░░░░░░░ Civil rights leaders say ░░░░░░░░ are going to be ░░░░░░░░ against this effort Joining ░░░░░░░░ right now is the ░░░░░░░░ of the National Urban ░░░░░░░░ Marc Morial Thank you ░░░░░░░░ being here What is ░░░░░░░░ reaction to this move ░░░░░░░░ President Trump MORIAL Good ░░░░░░░░ It was expected but ░░░░░░░░ s reprehensible It is ░░░░░░░░ but an effort to ░░░░░░░░ the progress that this ░░░░░░░░ has made over the ░░░░░░░░ 60 years and it ░░░░░░░░ to be resisted The ░░░░░░░░ order is null and ░░░░░░░░ because it seeks to ░░░░░░░░ statutory and constitutional values ░░░░░░░░ way of an effective ░░░░░░░░ edict So we will ░░░░░░░░ gathering today at the ░░░░░░░░ Press Club to discuss ░░░░░░░░ also I think to ░░░░░░░░ a series of actions ░░░░░░░░ think we need to ░░░░░░░░ 80 one percent of ░░░░░░░░ American people according to ░░░░░░░░ Harris Poll support the ░░░░░░░░ that private sector companies ░░░░░░░░ the government should hire ░░░░░░░░ be very affirmative in ░░░░░░░░ in a way that ░░░░░░░░ like America This is ░░░░░░░░ the progress we ve ░░░░░░░░ and an effort to ░░░░░░░░ that progress And so ░░░░░░░░ t fall for the ░░░░░░░░ argument that this is ░░░░░░░░ the restoration of merit ░░░░░░░░ this is really about ░░░░░░░░ saying that only some ░░░░░░░░ merit deserve a chance ░░░░░░░░ DEI is about is ░░░░░░░░ everyone with merit an ░░░░░░░░ That s the fundamental ░░░░░░░░ It s an American ░░░░░░░░ We will be fighting ░░░░░░░░ American values BOLDUAN Marc ░░░░░░░░ White House said in ░░░░░░░░ some of this yesterday ░░░░░░░░ we saw throughout the ░░░░░░░░ election this is one ░░░░░░░░ the center pieces of ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump ran on ░░░░░░░░ he promised he would ░░░░░░░░ if he won and ░░░░░░░░ knew this when they ░░░░░░░░ for him If gutting ░░░░░░░░ removing DEI initiatives from ░░░░░░░░ federal government if that ░░░░░░░░ a promise made promise ░░░░░░░░ What do you do ░░░░░░░░ that now MORIAL Because ░░░░░░░░ president has an obligation ░░░░░░░░ be the president of ░░░░░░░░ Americans He sounded that ░░░░░░░░ repeatedly This does not ░░░░░░░░ with that notion It ░░░░░░░░ t just about paying ░░░░░░░░ those who supported you ░░░░░░░░ s about affirming American ░░░░░░░░ I d argue that ░░░░░░░░ was not a center ░░░░░░░░ of this election It ░░░░░░░░ about economic issues It ░░░░░░░░ about border Yes it ░░░░░░░░ a subtext Yes it ░░░░░░░░ discussed But let me ░░░░░░░░ go back to 81 ░░░░░░░░ of the American people ░░░░░░░░ when you challenge the ░░░░░░░░ that doors should be ░░░░░░░░ you re challenging the ░░░░░░░░ that women have made ░░░░░░░░ people of color have ░░░░░░░░ that people of gender ░░░░░░░░ have made over the ░░░░░░░░ to create a stronger ░░░░░░░░ a better America That ░░░░░░░░ what this is about ░░░░░░░░ attack on DEI says ░░░░░░░░ work of the last ░░░░░░░░ presidents going all the ░░░░░░░░ back to the 1960s ░░░░░░░░ now for naught And ░░░░░░░░ have to resist that ░░░░░░░░ it s not consistent ░░░░░░░░ d appeal to the ░░░░░░░░ administration to open a ░░░░░░░░ with those of us ░░░░░░░░ understand and have worked ░░░░░░░░ to promote a more ░░░░░░░░ America The notion that ░░░░░░░░ is about returning merit ░░░░░░░░ want to squarely say ░░░░░░░░ s what I call ░░░░░░░░ smoke screen and a ░░░░░░░░ story What this is ░░░░░░░░ is saying we re ░░░░░░░░ longer going to have ░░░░░░░░ in the government against ░░░░░░░░ practices That s what ░░░░░░░░ is all about It ░░░░░░░░ us to a 1950s ░░░░░░░░ And I would argue ░░░░░░░░ America today is stronger ░░░░░░░░ better because of the ░░░░░░░░ laid in the 1960s ░░░░░░░░ the 1970s towards this ░░░░░░░░ So our event this ░░░░░░░░ is being livestreamed at ░░░░░░░░ org We ve got ░░░░░░░░ 20 leaders who will ░░░░░░░░ in a roundtable discussion ░░░░░░░░ it s just the ░░░░░░░░ of many many discussions ░░░░░░░░ strategies many efforts to ░░░░░░░░ really suggest and appeal ░░░░░░░░ encourage people to resist ░░░░░░░░ sort of divisive actions.”