Mayor Brandon Scott has come to expect overt and not-so-overt racism.

The latest example came in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Within hours, Scott said he started to notice social media posts labeling him as a “DEI Mayor.”

Scott immediately bristled at the dog whistle.

“We know what these folks really want to say when they say DEI mayor,” he told The Banner. “Whether it is DEI or clown. They really want to say the N-word. But there is nothing they can do and say to me that is worse than the treatment of my ancestors. I am proud of who I am and where I come from.”

  • ZeroCool@slrpnk.net
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    3 months ago

    We know what these folks really want to say when they say DEI mayor,” he told The Banner. “Whether it is DEI or clown. They really want to say the N-word.

    Yeah, this is typical chicken-shit conservative cowardice. Back in the day they wore hoods and robes, these days they hide behind avatars on social media, but they’re still playing the same games.

    It’s important to call them out on these dog whistles every time though, no matter how childish or ridiculous their name calling may seem. Because there will always be bad faith actors, pathological contrarians, and useful idiots waiting in the wings to defend them by denying the implicit or explicit racism at the heart of these incidents. So it’s the responsibility of every decent person not to give up a god damn inch of wiggle room on the subject.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      They really want to say the N-word.

      Exactly right. And honestly, I’m amazed that Trump hasn’t used it in a rally yet considering he can’t shut the fuck up or stop saying anything in his head.

      • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafe
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        3 months ago

        Everyone remember the country holding its breath that time he talked about the conflict in Niger?

        (Then he just laughed about 4 US soldiers dying in an ambush instead, whew!)

  • AlDente@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    Did anyone actually know what this acronym was supposed to mean without checking the article?

      • myusernameis@lemmy.ca
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        3 months ago

        Honestly, I probably only know the acronym because of the right wing hatred against it. I vote we say “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” instead of “DEI” to make them spell out why they are against these things.

        Edit, its equity not equality… Fixed that.

      • AlDente@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        I’ve never heard it before. It sounds like something people would only use on social media and not in the real world. I’m glad Lemmy is the extent of my social media exposure.

    • hailsatan@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      3 months ago

      From wiki: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (usually abbreviated DEI) are organizational frameworks which seek to promote “the fair treatment and full participation of all people”, particularly groups “who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination” on the basis of identity or disability.

  • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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    3 months ago

    We know what these folks really want to say

    Ah yes, if you don’t like what people are saying, just call them racists! Works every time!

    • JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca
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      3 months ago

      You do realize that by labeling him a “DEI mayor,” they’re specifically making it about race, right? They’re saying he only got the job because of his race, as a “diversity hire.” And they’re doing this when his race has nothing to do with the situation. In fact, in this particular case, the mayor, no matter who he or she is has nothing to do with the situation.

      So yeah, bringing up race for no reason - and in a derogatory fashion no less - would make the perpetrator, dare I say… Racist.

      If you don’t think it does, I’d be very interested to hear where you draw the line where something becomes racism. Maybe provide examples of things that are and aren’t racist to enlighten us.

      • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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        3 months ago

        You do realize that by labeling him a “DEI mayor,” they’re specifically making it about race, right?

        You do realize there’s a difference between being “about race” and being a racist, right? And you do realize that, despite the name, DEI is, in many cases, actually about upholding racism, right?

        They’re saying he only got the job because of his race, as a “diversity hire.” And they’re doing this when his race has nothing to do with the situation.

        If he’s hired as a “diversity hire” (AKA unqualified) then it has absolutely everything to do with it and I’m baffled that you can’t see that.

        So yeah, bringing up race for no reason - and in a derogatory fashion no less - would make the perpetrator, dare I say… Racist.

        Absolutely it would, but that’s not what’s happening, and he knows it.

        • die444die@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          If he’s hired as a “diversity hire” (AKA unqualified) then it has absolutely everything to do with it and I’m baffled that you can’t see that.

          There’s no way a real person is this stupid right? This must be a bot.

          But just in case - he was voted into office, not a “diversity hire” as you so racistly suggest.

          • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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            3 months ago

            There’s no way a real person is this stupid right? This must be a bot.

            Funny I was thinking the same thing about you.

            he was voted into office, not a “diversity hire” as you so racistly suggest.

            I didn’t suggest that. This is typical bot behavior where you try to answer questions no one asked. 🤔

            • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              You literally said, "If he’s hired as a “diversity hire.” That is suggesting that “he,” meaning the mayor in this discussion, could possibly be “hired,” as opposed to being elected. So, yes, you did suggest that the mayor was hired instead of being elected.

                • dogslayeggs@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  Yes, “if” implies that there is a way it can be one way or another. “If he committed the crime” implies that a crime was committed and the sentence is looking at whether or not “he” did it. In your sentence, “if he’s hired as a diversity hire” implies that he was hired and the sentence is looking at why they were hired.

                  You could very easily say you screwed up and typed the wrong thing. It happens to all of us. I often say, “you too” when a server says to enjoy my meal or when someone says “have a nice flight.” Instead, you double down and insist you didn’t say what you said.

            • die444die@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              One reason lemmy is so great is that it’s so easy to block “people” like you. Blocked!

        • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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          If he’s hired as a “diversity hire” (AKA unqualified) then it has absolutely everything to do with it and I’m baffled that you can’t see that.

          He’s an elected mayor, what the hell are you talking about?

          Must be unqualified cause he’s black though, right?

          Perhaps he should have forced better regulations at the port, except for the fact that the port is a state run enterprise that he isn’t in charge of. Your ignorance is glaring.

          • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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            3 months ago

            He’s an elected mayor, what the hell are you talking about?

            I didn’t say he wasn’t. What the hell are you talking about?

            Must be unqualified cause he’s black though, right?

            Yes, word for word, exactly what I said 🙄

            Your poor reading comprehension skills are glaring.

            • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              If he’s hired as a “diversity hire” (AKA unqualified) then it has absolutely everything to do with it and I’m baffled that you can’t see that.

              Did you not just say this?

              If you meant something else, you’re not a very good writer. The downvotes piling on should be your hint.

              • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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                3 months ago

                LOL as if downvotes on Lemmy mean absolutely anything to me. The place where copyrights don’t exist and everything is supposed to magically be free and no one has to work. LOL give me a break.

                I meant what I said, you just need to learn to read properly.

                • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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                  3 months ago

                  I meant what I said

                  Right, which brings me back to the impossibility of someone whom is elected to be a “diversity hire”. When I went to school I learned that hired and elected are two completely different words with fundamentally different meanings.

                  As for the downvotes, normally I’d agree that votes aren’t especially meaningful, but in this instance I think it’s clear you either have pathetic opinions or a sorry ability of conveying what you actually mean.

                  Also kind of funny to denigrate the platform you’re on, the door is that way if you hate it so much

        • JohnnyCanuck@lemmy.ca
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          If he’s hired as a “diversity hire” (AKA unqualified) then it has absolutely everything to do with it and I’m baffled that you can’t see that.

          Okay, so let’s say he was elected on his merits and was fully qualified. Would calling him a diversity hire then be racist?

    • SeaJ@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      Are you fucking dense? Baltimore is a majority black city. If it was really a diversity mayor, the mayor would be white. I have seen some of the large Twitter accounts complaining that the mayor is a ‘DEI’ mayor and they are all replete with racist garbage. Don’t be a fucking moron. These people are obvious.