New Research Helps Explain the DEI Backlash
Bubba
27 Nov
A new study suggests exposure to the works of diversity, equity and inclusion leaders like Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi makes people more likely to see racism where none exists. (National Review)
The study: Researchers at the Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University’s Social Perception lab split participants into two groups.
One group read DEI materials (like passages from DiAngelo or Kendi’s books), and the other read neutral content (like an essay about corn production).
Both groups then read scenarios with no clear evidence of discrimination, such as a college rejection or a trial, and were asked if they saw bias.
A sample scenario participants were asked to respond to:
A student applied to an elite East Coast university in Fall 2024. During the application process, he was interviewed by an admissions officer. Ultimately, the student’s application was rejected.
The results: People who read the DEI materials were much more likely to see prejudice where there was none, agree with harsh rhetoric (even demonizing quotes adapted from Hitler) and support punishing the supposed offenders.
What researchers said:
Educational materials from some of the most well-published and well-known DEI scholars not only failed to positively enhance interracial attitudes, they provoked baseless suspicion and encouraged punitive attitudes.
The trend: In the latest sign of how corporations have started to sour on DEI initiatives in the face of backlash from critics who say the programs are counterproductive, Walmart this week announced it was scaling back its DEI efforts.
Chart: Bloomberg
Big picture: For much of the 21st century, black and white Americans viewed interracial relations positively, but the rise of racial justice movements in the 2010s coincided with a sharp downturn in those perceptions.
