DEI backlash affecting research focused on racism and health
October 23, 2024 – Academic institutions and researchers studying the connection between racism and health are under attack during a backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, according to those affected.
David Willliams, Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, is among those experts who have been added to a right-wing “watch list” for his research and teaching about the health harms associated with racism, according to an Oct. 11 article in the Washington Post. The list is maintained by Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit.
The article noted that the killing of George Floyd in spring 2020 at the hands of Minnesota police officers spurred anti-racism efforts across the U.S. in business, academia, and government. But conservative groups have mounted a backlash, arguing that DEI programs, rather than creating more fairness and justice, instead promote reverse discrimination and indoctrination.
Williams said that the DEI backlash won’t affect his research. “You can put me on whatever list, and I will continue to do what I’m doing,” he said. “People gave their lives to open doors. I owe it to them and their sacrifice to continue.”
Read the Washington Post article: Racism was called a health threat. Then came the DEI backlash.
Learn more
How racism chips away at health (Harvard Chan School news)
Photo: iStock/LuckyTD
