Anti-DEI campaign claims a victory at UNC-Chapel Hill, GOP punishes Kidwell for anti-abortion comment
No. 21 — May 21-27, 2023
Anti-DEI activists score victory at UNC-Chapel Hill
UNC-Chapel Hill has become someone of a battleground in the fight against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at education institutions across the country, with pressure coming from the GOP-controlled legislature as well as activist organizations like Color Us United and Do No Harm.
Color Us United (CUU) began a campaign in January of this year to fight against UNC-Chapel Hill’s DEI initiatives, including the university’s “Task Force for Integrating Social Justice.” Although the task force dated back to 2020, the UNC School of Medicine had published a follow-up on the task force’s recommendations as late as February 2022.
CUU has claimed a “historic victory” this week, with the “official rejection” of the task force based on an official letter sent by UNC-Chapel Hill’s legal counsel in response to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). In the letter, the university claims that they have “no plan to implement the Task Force’s recommendations now or in the future”, referencing the UNC’s recent systemwide policy amendment prohibiting “compelled political speech”.
The Fight Against "Divisive Ideologies" at Major Universities in the Triangle
After controversial comments, two GOP lawmakers no longer have leadership roles (WRAL)
This week, two Republican representatives in the NC House, Keith Kidwell and Jeff McNeely, were forced to resign as deputy whips by the GOP caucus. Since we touched on McNeely’s transgression last week, we’ll now examine Kidwell’s offense: quipping that an abortion-supporting legislator was raised in the “church of Satan”. As the NC House was debating the recent abortion ban, the representative in question, Diamond Staton-Williams, was telling the story of how she had sacrificed her unborn child on the altar of prosperity and “career”. Staton-Williams drew a link between this human sacrifice and her Christian upbringing:
“I am someone who has grown up in church and believes in the power of God. I know there are trials and tribulations that have and will come my way and know ultimately, I have been given freedom of mind to make decisions for myself.”
- Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams (D-Cabarrus)
As Staton-Williams referenced having “grown up in church,” Kidwell was overheard by WRAL reporter Will Doran quipping that she must have meant the “church of Satan”. Although abortion is acknowledged as a Satanic ritual by Satanists, this comment was enough to cost Kidwell his leadership position in the GOP caucus. As House Majority Leader John Bell said: “We met as a caucus and just felt like it was in the best interest of our caucus, the best interest of our members, that we receive their resignation.”
Perhaps the NC GOP would be better served not taking their cues from the News & Observer editorial board…
Would ECU and UNC Health changes boost rural health care, or ‘monopolistic activity?’ (N&O)
What UNC Health and ECU Health share in common, besides being pseudo-governmental monopolies, is that they were both exposed recently for providing “gender affirming care” to “transgender” children as young as three or four.
A budget proposal in the NC Senate would provide “tens of millions of dollars” for these health systems to expand into rural parts of the state. Perhaps this funding would, in part, allow these health systems to bring their pro-transition counseling to these “underserved” areas where children may not currently have the opportunity to be groomed into a transgender “identity”.
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