July 29th, 2025

Well now, bless their hearts, I just read about a gathering down in Savannah where folks were singing the praises of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. Now, before y’all start reaching for your smelling salts, let me be clear as sweet tea on a summer day – I ain’t got nothing against treating people fairly or helping those who need it. That’s what Christians have been doing since Jesus walked the earth.

However, what I do have a problem with is when good intentions get hijacked by bureaucrats and turned into something that divides rather than unites. And that, my friends, is exactly what’s happening with this DEI business.

Now, according to the organizers down at St. Philip AME Church, DEI is just about making sure everyone gets a fair shake. Sounds noble enough, doesn’t it? But as my daddy used to say, “The devil’s in the details, son.”

Dennis Prager over at PragerU has been talking about this for years, and Dr. Albert Mohler has addressed it repeatedly on The Briefing. These aren’t fly-by-night commentators – these are serious thinkers who’ve looked at the actual outcomes of DEI policies. What they’ve found isn’t pretty.

The Road to Division, Paved with Good Intentions

Furthermore, when we look at what DEI actually does in practice, it’s troubling. Instead of judging people by the content of their character – as Dr. King so eloquently put it – we’re back to judging them by the color of their skin, their gender, or their sexual orientation. That doesn’t sound like progress to me; it sounds like going backwards.

Moreover, these programs often create more resentment than they solve. When someone gets a job or a college admission based on their demographic category rather than their qualifications, it diminishes their achievement and breeds resentment among others. Is that really the kind of society we want?

Faith and True Justice – A Biblical Perspective

As a God-fearing man, I believe deeply in justice and fairness. The Bible tells us to “defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed” (Psalm 82:3). But there’s a big difference between biblical justice and the kind of “social justice” being peddled today.

Dr. Mohler has repeatedly pointed out on The Briefing that true biblical justice is about treating each person as made in the image of God – not dividing them into competing groups based on immutable characteristics. When Pastor C.J. Holliman talks about faith being at the forefront of social movements, he’s absolutely right. But the question is: which direction are we moving?

The Real Impact on Communities

Now, let’s talk about what DEI policies actually do to communities. According to research highlighted by PragerU’s educational content, these programs often:

– Create division where unity once existed

– Lower standards in the name of “equity”

– Punish merit-based achievement

– Foster a victim mentality rather than empowerment

Additionally, when we look at education – something near and dear to my heart as someone who believes in the power of learning – DEI policies have led to the dumbing down of curricula and the elimination of programs that challenge students to excel.

A Better Way Forward

So what’s the alternative? Well, it’s not complicated, though it might be harder work than signing a pledge at a church gathering.

First and foremost, we need to return to the principle of treating each person as an individual. Judge people by their character, their work ethic, their achievements – not by categories they were born into.

Secondly, we need to focus on actual opportunity rather than guaranteed outcomes. Help people develop skills, provide mentorship, create pathways to success – but don’t guarantee the destination based on demographics.

Furthermore, we need to strengthen families and communities. The best anti-poverty program ever invented is a two-parent family. The best way to ensure children succeed is to give them stable homes with parents who value education and hard work.

Representative Tran mentioned concerns about minority business contracts and disaster relief. These are legitimate concerns, but they miss a crucial point. The best way to help minority-owned businesses succeed isn’t to give them set-asides – it’s to create an economy where all businesses can thrive based on their ability to serve customers well.

Similarly, disaster relief should be based on need, not demographics. When Hurricane Michael hit Georgia, folks didn’t care what color their neighbors were – they just helped. That’s the Southern way, and it’s the American way.

Moving Beyond Buzzwords to Real Solutions

The truth is, many of the problems DEI claims to solve are real. There are communities that need help, individuals who face barriers, and systems that could work better. But the solution isn’t to create new forms of discrimination in the name of fighting old ones.

Instead, we need:

– Strong schools that prepare all children for success

– Economic policies that create jobs and opportunity

– Safe communities where businesses want to invest

– Families that provide stability and values

These aren’t Democratic or Republican solutions – they’re common-sense solutions that work regardless of who’s implementing them.

The Faith Component

I appreciate that Pastor Holliman wants to see faith leaders involved in social movements. That’s exactly right. But the question is: are we following Christ’s example or the world’s agenda?

Jesus reached across every social barrier of His time – He ate with tax collectors, healed Samaritans, and welcomed children. But He did it by treating each person as uniquely valuable, not by putting them into categories and then treating the categories differently.

Dr. Mohler often reminds his listeners that the gospel transcends all human divisions. When we’re united in Christ, our earthly differences become secondary. That’s true diversity – not the manufactured kind that comes from government programs.

Conclusion: A More Excellent Way

Look, I understand the desire to help people who’ve been left behind. That desire comes from a good place, and it reflects the best of the Southern spirit of hospitality and care for neighbors.

However, DEI programs aren’t the answer. They’re a well-intentioned detour that ultimately leads away from the very goals they claim to pursue.

The real answer is simpler and harder: treat every person with dignity, provide real opportunities for advancement based on merit, strengthen families and communities, and trust that free people in a free society will figure out how to live together peacefully.

That’s not just the Southern way – it’s the American way. And it’s worked pretty well for us so far.

So while I respect the folks who gathered in Savannah and their desire to make things better, I’d suggest we might want to reconsider whether DEI is really taking us where we want to go. Sometimes the road to you-know-where is paved with the best of intentions.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go make some gumbo. That’s one place where diversity really works – the more different ingredients you throw in, the better it tastes. But you still need to follow the recipe, and you still need to know what you’re doing.

That’s just my two cents, served up with a side of Southern common sense and a heaping helping of American optimism.

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What do y’all think? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and remember – we can disagree without being disagreeable. That’s the Southern way.

Sources:

– PragerU Educational Content on DEI and Social Policy

– The Briefing with Dr. Albert Mohler

– The Current GA article by Domonique King

Dean Burnette is the creator and writer of Southern Fried Thoughts, where every post is served with a side of optimism and a sprinkling of Southern goodness.

Citations:

[1] https://albertmohler.com/the-briefing/

[2] https://southernfriedthoughts.com

[3] https://thecurrentga.org/2025/07/28/community-gathers-to-back-diversity-equity-inclusion-efforts/

[4] https://www.prageru.com