A Missouri school board has rescinded their “anti-racist” resolution promoting “diversity, equity, and inclusion” implemented during the violent Black Lives Matter riots in 2020.
The Francis Howell School District (FHSD)’s 2020 resolution stated, “We are committed to creating an equitable and anti-racist system that honors and elevates all, but one that also specifically acknowledges the challenges faced by our Black and brown students and families.”
The resolution added that “racism is a crisis that negatively impacts our students, our families, our community, and our staff” and to fight that, they would “ensure that the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion are integrated into the culture, curriculum, policies, programs, operations, and practices of the FHSD district.”
On Thursday, the school board voted to allow the resolution to expire.
Activists in the crowd shouted “shame on you” at the board members while they cast their votes, according to a report from CBS.
“I’m not sure the board needs a new resolution for every evil in society that we are against, such as racism,” FHSD board member Randy Cook said, according to the report.
School board member Jane Puszkar asked what the policy has done, noting that she has not seen any proof that it did any good.
“My thought on the policy is what has it really done?” Puszkar asked. “How effective has it been? Show me proof. I haven’t gotten any.”
Liberal parents argued that allowing the resolution to expire would create a “less than welcoming” environment for black students.
“Requiring the physical removal of a resolution against racism and discrimination, through whatever sideways way you want to do it, sends a very clear message,” one mother said, according to the report. “You’re saying you’re done listening, and we just need to go away.”
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that diversity, equity, and inclusion jobs were all the rage after the George Floyd riots, but corporate America is finally slashing those positions three years later.
“Companies including Netflix, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery have recently said that high-profile diversity, equity and inclusion executives will be leaving their jobs,” the report said. “Thousands of diversity-focused workers have been laid off since last year, and some companies are scaling back racial justice commitments.”
Perhaps the country is slowly starting to move back towards sanity.
