Massachusetts Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley expressed her criticism over the name placement of civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Republican-sponsored bill, “Dismantling DEI Act,” which would weaken DEI initiatives in government, Fox News reports.
Pressley ripped the legislation during a House Oversight Committee hearing on Nov. 20, labeling the bill an “utter disgrace.” She summarized the bill’s provision as banning anything that acknowledges racism but, later on, does the opposite by addressing the presence of reverse racism. Pressley continued by chastising GOP members’ misuse of King’s words when his children have asked them to stop
. “And I’d also like to take a personal note of privilege to say please keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s name out of your mouths. Your perversion of his words and his mission when his children have asked you to stop invoking his name and perverting his work when he was a proud and unapologetic Black man fighting for equality for Black Americans and all marginalized people,” she said.“So you all are entitled to your opinions but not a denial of the facts.”
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goal of the bill, created by Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), is to eliminate DEI offices in the federal government, end DEI requirements for federal contractors and grant applicants, and give supervision to guarantee tax dollars don’t go toward race-based policies and other “divisive initiatives.” Cloud feels DEI “undermines the progress we’ve made,” listing hard-fought battles — including the Civil War — the ending of slavery, and more as examples of ways “Americans worked tirelessly to right the wrongs of discrimination.”Pressley’s remarks came during the same hearing that fellow Democratic lawmaker Rep.
Jasmine Crockett passionately addressed the legislation. She slammed GOP lawmakers for characterizing DEI as “oppression.”The progressive “squad” member schooled her colleagues on the history of racism in the United States, going back to verbiage within the original Constitution. “Do you all know your history? Do you know American history? The original Constitution counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person. During World War II, the federal government forcibly relocated and incarcerated 110,000 Japanese Americans,” Pressley reminded legislators.
“The FHA practiced redlining in the 1930s and 60s to deny mortgages to Black Americans, which is why we have a racial wealth gap today.”
While the bill passed with a 23-17 vote, according to Pressley’s website, she introduced an amendment that would protect historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) from the bill’s federal funding ban. The amendment was adopted with a unanimous vote.
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