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Black Republican opposing DEI inspires when he was badgered about his ethnicity: ‘I am an American’

April 2, 2023 | | Print Article

Things got heated in the Missouri state House this week, as black Representatives Justin Hicks, a Republican, and Marlene Terry, a Democrat, faced off over the government funding of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the Show Me State.

House Bill 6, an appropriations bill for “the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Conservation, and the several divisions and programs thereof” moved to the Senate on Thursday after a 105-46 vote in the Republican-controlled state House.

According to the bill, “No funds shall be expended for staffing, vendors, consultants, or programs associated with ‘Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,’ or ‘Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging.'”

Furthermore, the legislation would block funds for initiatives that promote “the preferential treatment of any individual or group of individuals based upon race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, national origin, or ancestry”; “the concept that disparities are necessarily tied to oppression”; “collective guilt ideologies”; and “intersectional or divisive identity 12 activism.”

Terry declared that she was “appalled” by the language of the bill and called on Hicks to defend his support of it.

“You said you were okay with the DEI [measure], and that there is an equal playing field,” she fumed. “Did you say that?”

Hicks affirmed that he is, in fact, okay with the language.

“What it does is say that we are not in the business in state government of giving preferential treatment to certain groups and individuals,” he said. “We treat everyone the same because we are all people under the law.”

Terry then demanded to know how Hicks “identifies” with respect to his “ethnicity.”

“I identify as an American,” he replied to a round of applause.

When Hicks pointed out that Terry was given the same opportunity to be elected to her post as everyone else, Terry called him “delusional.”

“You are delusional if you think that because that’s not how life is going,” she insisted. “That’s the reason we need these things implemented in some of these companies.”

Terry made the distinction between being “privileged” and being “equal,” claiming she and her college-educated daughter are proof that things are not “equal.”

Everything for Terry has, apparently, been a fight against those who would like to keep her oppressed. It was the only explanation she offered for the reason her “darn good bills” have taken so long to be recognized and advanced.

She then challenged Hicks to describe how he managed to get elected.

It was a “story” she said she couldn’t wait to hear.

But, given the young Rep.’s answer, it’s one she may wish she hadn’t brought up in the middle of a debate before her colleagues.

“I had to work on my own merit, and pretty much promote the principles that I believe in, which is freedom, equality for all, which I believe that America does,” he calmly replied. “And that’s how I got elected into my position. I didn’t get elected into my position because of the color of my skin or do any race-baiting stuff that it seems like you’re promoting here.”

 

Melissa Fine
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