DEI, Modern Slurs, Black Art & DOGE
New YouTube video & what I'm reading/watching
DEI and the Rise of the Modern Slur
Over the last month, it has become abundantly clear that when Donald Trump and his allies say “DEI,” they don’t mean “diversity, equity and inclusion.”
They mean that term as a slur.
Black folks have been saying that for a while — that certain words are being weaponized against us. I’m calling those terms Modern Slurs and they are the subject of my latest YouTube video. Check it out!
This Week’s Picks:
I’ve been making my way through Black Reconstruction by W.E.B. Dubois. I am consistently impressed by the resolve and resilience of my enslaved ancestors. Though it chronicles horror, the stories and details in this book are filling me with great pride.
I recently watched two older Black movies that I think you should check out:
Daughters of the Dust (1991), directed by Julie Dash. This film is all about a Gullah Geechee family wrestling with change at the turn of the century. It is beautifully shot (shoutout to the brilliant Arthur Jafa) PLUS the dreamy art direction and wardrobe inspired the visuals for Beyonce’s Lemonade. Though a little experimental/indie at times, the Black history and tradition make this is a must-watch.
Uptight (1968), digs into the tensions of Black life and liberation in the aftermath of King’s assassination. It follows a cast of characters navigating the complexities of resistance, poverty and betrayal. This film was seen as so radical, the FBI planted informants on set to keep an eye on production. If nothing else, watch the first few minutes that feature some absolutely spellbinding footage from MLK’s funeral processional in Atlanta.
This video by Elizabeth Booker Houston. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been doomscrolling the news. It’s easy to feel discouraged by everything going over, including overstated headlines designed to win a click. This means that the people who have the expertise and time to dig into primary sources and explain what’s really going on are invaluable. Liz is definitely one of those people, and her explanation of the legal battle over DOGE was excellent. Must watch. She’s also on Substack! Give her a sub.
As always, I’m grateful that you are here, my friends! Until next time. Peace!
This gets a subscription from me.
Brilliant video as always, Garrison. Spot-on analysis identifying Deniability and Normalization as the main purposes of modern slurs. I especially liked how you synthesized these concepts in the following quote:
“When they get you to say DEI as a pejorative, they know that you may or may not mean [it as a slur]. But it doesn’t matter. They mean it as a slur. And they’ve already done the work to closely associate DEI with the idea of undeserving Black people or undeserving women or queer people. So you are knowingly or unknowingly helping to normalize their framing of the term.” That’s exactly correct and an important insight that I think can be dangerously overlooked sometimes. Thank you for your amazing work and for helping keep people informed about Black history, social justice, politics, and current events! ☺️