Charlamagne Tha God: Only Thing DEI Has Accomplished Is ‘Giving Racist White People Cover to Be Openly Racist’

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: “‘Yeah, yeah, y’all are cheering out there, but do you want [bleep] With attitude coming to your office?’ These right-wingers are crazy, right? Jesus. But here’s the part where you all stop applauding everything I say. The truth about DEI is that, although it’s well-intentioned, it’s mostly garbage. Okay? It’s kind of like the black ‘Little Mermaid.’ Just because racists hate it doesn’t mean it’s good. And you know I’m right, because every one of you has sat through one of those diversity training sessions and thought, ‘This is some bullsh*t!’ And it’s not just you. Over 900 studies have shown that DEI programs don’t make the workplace better for minorities. In fact, it can actually make things worse because of the backlash effect. Remember D.A.R.E. from school? Y’all remember D.A.R.E.?
(Audience member woos)
She said woo.
(Laughter)
DEI training is like D.A.R.E. for racism, and you all know how effective that was. I was sitting there going, ‘Oh, sh*t. There’s a ton of fun drugs I should try! I didn’t even know about Molly. Thanks, Officer John!’ But the biggest failure of DEI is that the number of black people in power at big companies is basically the same as it was five years ago. In fact, maybe the only thing that DEI has accomplished is giving racist white people cover to be openly racist.”

[Clip starts]
WATTERS: “DEI breeds complacency, Dana, and complacency kills.”
(...)
RUBIN: “We are going to have doctors who don’t know how to perform heart surgery and we’ll have planes that are falling out of the sky.”
(...)
Ingraham: “Boeing recently bragged not about being the best in the business, but about surpassing its diversity quotas. Oh, goody. But then not so good, a door flying off of one of Boeing’s 737 Super Maxes.”
(...)
KIRK: “I’m sorry, if I see a black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified.’”

(Audience reacts)
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: “I mean, honestly, when I see a black pilot, I’m not worried that we’re gonna crash, I’m worried that we’re going to get pulled over.
(Laughter)
Okay? That’s right. That’s right. ‘And no, officer, I will not step out of this vehicle!’ All right? But yeah, they’re blaming DEI for everything. Even that bridge in Baltimore. They called Baltimore’s mayor ‘the DEI mayor,’ like he was given the job for being black. Then they said the shipping company was too focused on DEI instead of safety, but almost the entire leadership of the company is white, no black people. If anything, the Baltimore mayor, he should’ve been the one to make it racist. Just come out like, ‘These crackers knocked down my bridge! Okay? And one of y’all crackers better pay for it!’ And honestly, I’m not surprised these programs didn’t work, and here’s why: it’s just corporate PR. They want good vibes. And also, they want to cover their ass. Okay? Did you know that if a company gets sued for civil rights violations, just having a DEI program will be counted as evidence in their favor, even if the program doesn’t do sh*t? Okay? It’s the ‘I have a black friend’ of the legal system, all right? We don’t need corporate DEI. Yes, we want diversity, and equity, and inclusion. But we don’t want it from Vaseline! Although I’m not gonna front, Vaseline has been there for the black community. Respect. Okay?
(Cheering and Applause)
Moisturized. Okay? Look, man, real DEI is only going to come from black leadership. I don’t know how to do it because I’m not a black leader, but I do know how to tell if it’s working. Just keep an eye on right-wing media. The more they’re freaking out, the more progress we’re making.”
(Cheering and Applause)