Radio host Charlamagne tha God tore into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, calling them βmostly garbageβ in a searing rant on the Daily Show on Wednesday.
βHereβs the part where you all stop all stop applauding everything I say. The truth about DEI is that, although, itβs well-intentioned, itβs mostly garbage. Okay?β said the Breakfast Club host.
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Charlamagne, 45, directed part of his critique towards the live-action remake of the Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey, who is Black. The 24 year-old actress received a barrage of hateful and racist messages criticizing her for playing a character who appears white in the cartoon version of the film.
βItβs kind of like the Black βLittle Mermaid.β Just because racists hate it, doesnβt mean itβs good,β he said.
He also claimed that multiple studies showed that DEI was ineffective, and just a PR stunt for corporations. βOver 900 studies have shown that DEI programs donβt make the workplace better for minorities. In fact, it can actually make things worse because of the backlash effect,β he said.
On social media, many peopole chastised Charlamagne for his comments, accusing him of giving cover to racists like Elon Musk, who posted a video of Charlamagneβs comments on the Daily Show.
βMy Brother this opinion is not it,β commented journalist TourΓ© on Charlamagneβs Instagram.
βYou are so incredibly carless with your wording,β wrote Joel Plummer on the same post. βYou have no understanding of how your sloppy use of terms leads to misunderstandings to provide cover for racists.β
Some social media users insinuated that Charlamagne was becoming a βright wingβ grifter, name-dropping his recent guest, Candace Owens.
βCharlamagne is trying to slide into the position Candace Owens occupied,β said one social media user. βSaying the talking points that White Supremacists believe in. Pathetic.β
For his part, Charlamagne defended himself and the fact that Elon Musk agreed with him saying, βNow itβs quite possible Elon agrees with me for the right reasons. Watch the video before you start chatting s**t.β
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