Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday named a new diversity officer who opposes critical race theory to lead the state’s diversity, opportunity, and inclusion efforts.
Angela Sailor was appointed to an existing post as Virginia’s director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, according to a press release. Youngkin also issued his 10th executive order, which designates Sailor as the commonwealth’s chief diversity, opportunity, and inclusion officer as part of his Cabinet, replacing the word “equity” with “opportunity.”
As a black woman, Sailor has been critical of curriculum that teaches students that “America’s culture and institutions are rigged to help whites succeed, that they are victimizers if they’re white, and doomed to failure if they’re black,” which she called “the textbook definition of racism.”
Glenn Youngkin has asked all of the state’s DEI employees to resign and tapped anti-critical race theory leader Angela Sailor to lead the department. In her first move, Sailor eliminated the word “equity” and replaced it with “opportunity.”https://t.co/QzNY1KDGcL pic.twitter.com/zShBPQERfb
— Christopher F. Rufo ?? (@realchrisrufo) January 19, 2022
Sailor has 20 years of executive experience in government and corporate entities, most recently as a vice president leading the Feulner Institute at The Heritage Foundation, chief of staff to former Heritage President Kay C. James, and public member of the Senior Foreign Service Selection Board for the State Department, according to the press release. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)
Sailor has also recognized the focus on “equity” instead of equality, which she said is a “characteristic” of critical race theory and strives to achieve the “impossible goal” of guaranteed equal outcomes, which “will inevitably result in discriminatory practices.”
The word “equity” has been replaced with “opportunity” in her Cabinet job title.
Critical race theory holds that America is fundamentally racist, yet it teaches people to view every social interaction and person in terms of race. Its adherents pursue “anti-racism” through the end of merit, objective truth, and the adoption of race-based policies.
In his executive order, Youngkin also outlined his plans to reinvent the office.
As part of her role as chief diversity, opportunity, and inclusion officer, Sailor will expand entrepreneurship and economic opportunities for disadvantaged and disabled Virginians, bring together people of different faiths to serve their communities, and “promote free speech and civil discourse in civic life, including viewpoint diversity in higher education in coordination with the Secretary of Education,” according to the release.
She will also be charged with eliminating “disparities in pre-natal care” while serving as an ambassador for unborn children and recognizing the rights of parents in educational and curricular decision-making in coordination with the secretary of education, ensuring “the teaching of Virginia’s and the United States’ history is honest, objective, and complete.”
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was created in 2019 by Gov. Ralph Northam, but it has been unstaffed since its former chief and four staffers were asked not to continue in their roles, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
Youngkin won the governorship with the help of parents who were fed up with the current administration and the state’s policies, and made it clear they wanted to see change in Virginia’s education system.
Youngkin promised to ban concepts like critical race theory and to put parents first. His opponent, Terry McAuliffe, slipped out of favor when he claimed critical race theory was a “racist dog whistle” and made the assertion that he doesn’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.
On Saturday, after he was sworn in, Youngkin issued his first executive order, which vowed to end “the use of inherently divisive concepts—including critical race theory—in public education.” The governor’s second order said he would “empower Virginia parents in their children’s education and upbringing by allowing parents to make decisions on whether their child wears a mask in school.”
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