The New Abnormal

Right-Wing Group’s Unbelievable New Tactic to Tackle DEI

THE NEW ABNORMAL

The New Abnormal hosts explain why the American Accountability Foundation is out to do “anything but provide accountability.”

Opinion
The American Accountability Foundation Watch List
Photo Illustration by Victoria Sunday/The Daily Beast/Getty Images

Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher (update links).

The right-wing American Accountability Foundation appears to be ushering in a new, “McCarthy-style” era in the federal government with its diversity, equity, and inclusion “watchlist,” say The New Abnormal co-hosts Andy Levy and Danielle Moodie.

The organization has shared a list of names and photos of 50 people in programs aimed at improving health outcomes for minority groups, referring to them as “woke D.E.I. devotees in the federal government who need to be fired,” according to The New York Times.

Moodie describes it a “red scare” tactic–referring to the persecution of left-leaning individuals in the 1940s and ’50s, while Levy adds the list includes “mostly Black people who work in government” who the group “have decided don’t deserve to have jobs.”

“DEI is just the latest term that the right has seized on to roll back any gains that were made from the ‘60s on, with regard to civil rights and with regard to fair employment and an end to employers being allowed to discriminate on the basis of race,” said Levy. “They’re mainly focused on race right now, but the others are coming.”

He adds, “And it’s absolutely unbelievable that they think they can get away with this.”

Plus! Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, breaks down the Trump administration’s attacks on public education, and Tax March executive director Maura Quint delves into the fight for tax justice.

Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.