Majdi: DEI is ‘woke’ racism and minorities should endorse the Morrisey ban | Opinion

Earlier this year, “woke” activists attended a county commission meeting to protest what they claim is racial profiling by ICE agents. In a shocking display of racist “woke” values, they directed a Nazi salute toward me and two people were ejected from the meeting. It has become clear that the Democratic Party has a race problem. “Woke” activists have taken over the party and adopted radical positions on race relations that violate fundamental American values. 

With “woke” racism on the rise, Gov. Morrisey has stepped in to ban DEI in state government. According to “woke” Democrats, so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion programs must intentionally discriminate in favor of minorities to counterbalance “institutional racism” in America. They claim America is a “racist” country and that minorities cannot succeed without government intervention. They’re wrong: DEI is “woke” racism and cannot be permitted in a just society.

Thanks to Gov. Morrisey, West Virginia joined the fight against DEI last year. But I’ve been fighting against DEI my entire life. 

DEI actively discriminates against Asian Americans and other so-called “model minorities.” To wit, the “woke” Democrats of Northern Virginia fought to change the admissions policy of my alma mater, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, known as “TJ”. With rigorous entrance exams and the highest merit-based standards, TJ ranked as the No. 1 public high school in America for years. TJ was a “majority minority” school (meaning that most students were minorities) with a disproportionately large Asian-American student population. 

Asian-American students were achieving at the highest levels academically, but that didn’t fit the “woke” narrative of minority oppression. So, the radical Democrats of Northern Virginia implemented DEI to change the racial demographics of the school. As a result, Asian-American student enrollment decreased. When Asian-American parents stood up and complained about the racist policy, they were mocked and derided by “woke” Democrats.

DEI Democrats destroyed the merit-based system at TJ because they couldn’t allow Asian Americans to succeed in America based on merit alone. TJ threatened the “woke” narrative, so it had to be destroyed. Now, TJ is no longer the top-ranked public high school in America. My alma mater, once a source of pride, has been tarnished. For me, DEI is deeply personal. 

There is a link between TJ and West Virginia: both threaten the “woke” narrative. “Woke” Democrats tout the fact that white Americans are wealthy and successful as evidence that America is inherently racist. But they conveniently leave out two inconvenient truths: Asian Americans earn the highest wages, and West Virginians — predominantly white  — earn among the lowest wages in America. “Woke” activists claim that white West Virginians have “white privilege.” But any Appalachian can tell you, whether you’re in West Virginia or you’re Vice President of the United States, white privilege is a “woke” lie. Asian Americans and West Virginians don’t fit the DEI narrative, so we are a threat to “woke” Democrats.

Thanks to Gov. Morrisey, “woke” racism in the form of DEI has been banned in West Virginia. West Virginians — including common sense Democrats and Independents — support the ban. But many West Virginians may feel uncomfortable sharing their support because they don’t want to be called “racist” by the “woke” mob. It’s time for West Virginia minorities to come together to endorse the Morrisey ban and take a clear stand against DEI.

Racism is certainly real. But is America a racist country? For families like mine, who escaped brutal tyranny and extreme prejudice, America is the solution to racism — not the problem. America is the land of opportunity with a welcoming, kind, beautiful culture based on Christian values. Calling America “racist” is deeply insulting to every immigrant family who has been guaranteed freedom and equality by the Constitution. Moreover, calling America “racist” is an insult to West Virginians who face harsh discrimination due to non-racial prejudice. We all know the rest of the country looks down on West Virginians. Isn’t that discrimination?

To those who call America a “racist” country — the same people who support DEI policies that are actually racist against me, my family, and the people of West Virginia — I demand an apology. 

Under my leadership, Jefferson County practices non-discrimination in our hiring processes. We do this to attract the best candidates and hire the most qualified people. There’s nothing more insulting to qualified minorities than to say they need help to succeed. And there’s nothing more insulting to West Virginians than to say that they benefit from so-called “white privilege.”

So long as I am chairman of the Commission, Jefferson County will never implement DEI or any other form of discrimination. We will continue to hire the most qualified candidates regardless of race or gender. Not only is that the Republican platform — it’s the American Way