Biden agency to consult with left-wing groups on boosting DEI in Ethiopia
- August 13, 2023
The Biden administration is soliciting responses on how it can boost left-leaning diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility practices at an agency in the landlocked African country of Ethiopia, documents show.
Championing DEI has been a foremost concern of the federal government since President Joe Biden took office, with the president on his first day signing an executive order directing agencies to conduct equity assessments due to the alleged effects of “systemic racism.” Now, the United States Agency for International Development’s Mission in Ethiopia is planning on consulting with nonprofit groups, public schools, think tanks, and other parties “to learn more ways” it can advance DEI “within its existing activities and structures,” according to documents reviewed by the Washington Examiner.
“‘Diversity’ and ‘equity’ have become loaded terms in recent years,” Michael Chamberlain, director of the ethics watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust, told the Washington Examiner. “While the principles may sound benign, too often in practice their effects can be far different. When they are used to base hiring, personnel, or funding decisions upon race or other immutable characteristics, there is definitely the danger of running afoul of anti-discrimination laws, something the U.S. Supreme Court recently reiterated in the context of college admissions.”