I want this to be totally clear. "DEI Hire" isn't just shorthand for Black (or not white.) It contains the assumption that people who aren't white are inherently inferior and, thus, inherently unqualified. Therefore, any person saying this is a white supremacist racist full stop.
@pearlbear Yes, they are saying "DEI hire" because they are racist, but that doesn't mean we should cede the term to them, as if agreeing that DEI is a bad thing.
Naming _a particular employee_ a DEI hire implies that their identity affected the decision to hire them at some stage. That implication is socially corrosive and insulting for many people.
Do you have a context where "DEI hire" can be used in a noninsulting way?
@robryk @pearlbear However, it is not entirely inaccurate to call Kamala a "DEI hire". She was chosen (at least partially) due to her "diverse" identity, since seeing a black/indian woman as a candidate encourages traditionally-disenfranchised groups of people to participate in the the political process, and their inclusion should (ideally) result in more equitable outcomes from the government.
@robryk @pearlbear I was specifically saying that we should not cede the term "DEI", since DEI programs can make such a different in creating an open and welcoming environment within organizations to people with diverse identities and backgrounds.