ESPN host Stephen A. Smith explains why he feels “concerned” over the removal of DEI measures after President Donald Trump signed a slew of executive actions pulling back the prior initiatives.
“I’m concerned about it. I’m certainly not going to celebrate it because I don’t like the way I believe the right is handling this particular issue,” Smith told “The Will Cain Show” Wednesday afternoon.
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The ESPN host highlighted his and Cain’s prior discussions on DEI, saying that asking questions and talking about a merit-based society is “cool.”
“But there are others on the right that are hiding behind that verbiage to disguise how they’re really coming across,” explained Smith, arguing that many conservatives are trying to “imply that everybody that got hired under DEI – is that you certainly weren’t competent. You weren’t qualified.”
Since Trump’s inauguration on January 20th, he has signed several executive orders surrounding DEI measures, with one being the “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.”
The president also signed the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” executive order.
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“Let’s understand that we don’t get to ignore why the existence of DEI came to be. It was because of the inequities in the system, the people that weren’t hired before, competent individuals from minority communities throughout this country that [didn’t] feel like they were being treated fairly,” said Smith.
Smith also highlighted the Rooney Rule that emerged in the NFL’s hiring practices. The rule aims to increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager, and executive positions, according to the NFL Operations page.
“Certainly, you would think that you should be able to interview whoever you want. You shouldn’t be forced to interview an African-American candidate,” he said, before asking why that policy would have been implemented in the first place.
“It implemented that policy because of inequities that were exercised by various NFL owners spanning history. All I’m saying is, let’s not forget that reality,” Smith argued.
The sports host argued that with the removal of DEI measures, if an organization were to end up with “seven, eight, nine different positions” that were all White hires, “you’re basically implying that all of those White folks are the best candidates, and we couldn’t find anybody from any different community that could be competent. That’s my concern.”
Smith further explained that by eradicating DEI programs and revisiting the hiring process, institutions would need to be careful to avoid an entirely White work force.
“[If] you know, 40% of the candidates are African-Americans or Latinos or a combination of the both and 60% of them are White. Nobody’s going to have a problem with that. But if 95 to 100% of them are White from the moment that DEI is eradicated, then you’re sending the message that the only reason other folks had those opportunities was because of DEI as opposed to their qualifications,” he argued.
“I’m saying you have to be mindful and careful of making sure that that message is not disseminated because that’s inaccurate,” he continued. “And history has proven that in a lot of different circumstances. That’s all.”
When Smith, who did not vote for Trump, was asked about his overall view of the president and if he would vote for him if he had a do-over, he said he is rooting for his success.
“I don’t know if I would vote for him because I don’t trust that chaos is not going to reign,” he said. “I’m not trying to call him an authoritarian or whatever, but the White House, the Senate, you know, Congress, etc., Complete power like that makes me nervous, especially in the hands of somebody like him who can be a bit petty and stuff like that.”
Smith, who said he is an Independent, revealed he has voted Republican in the past and likes both some liberal and conservative policies.
“A successful presidency, to me, is what benefits America, not him (President Trump). And if that means voting right, I’ll vote right [the] next election and [the] election after that. And the election after that. I ain’t ashamed to tell you,” said Smith.
