The clearest signal that State Auditor Shad White intends to run for governor one day came recently, when he instructed Mississippi’s public universities to send him information on how much money they’re spending on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.
And the clearest signal that White has chosen a more aggressive path in his political career came in his column for the Magnolia Tribune website, in which he lit into Bill Crawford, a syndicated columnist in the state, who questioned whether these diversity programs deserve any of the Audit Department’s attention.
White’s snippy rebuttal to Crawford indicates the auditor either has developed a case of thin skin — or more likely believes that going on offense is a good way to build name recognition for any future campaigns he may be considering.
In his column, Crawford called the review of state universities’ diversity programs “another fake issue” that conservative Republicans are attacking “as part of their anti-woke agenda.”
White responded, “The truth is that DEI programs are often far from wholesome. They have regularly proven to lead to division, not inclusion.” He listed five examples of these programs’ content at companies like Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart and Disney that, if accurately and fairly described, do sound ridiculous.
He criticizes Crawford for not being alarmed about diversity programs without looking at any of them in Mississippi. But he is guilty of the same thing. Though he may not yet know what Mississippi universities are doing with their diversity programs, White wrote: “We need to know what’s being spent on these programs. I won’t sit by and let taxpayer dollars fuel the indoctrination of the next generation. Not my kids, and not on my watch.”
The implication is clear: All diversity programs are bad. In all honesty, some of them probably go too far. White noted, for example, that diversity training at Bank of America told the company’s employees that the United States was built on white supremacy.
But there are probably other programs that don’t go all in on the 1619 Project and preach that America is evil. It is reasonable, for example, for companies to remind their managers that the population is changing, and hiring practices should seek multiple goals, such as finding the best, most qualified employees — and hiring employees from different backgrounds. Those are not mutually exclusive groups.
The most disappointing thing about White’s column is the way he made his criticism of Crawford personal. “He belongs to a group I call the Aging White Liberals,” White wrote. “AWLs often claim they were once Republicans to try to earn a bit of conservative credibility. They’ve been asleep for the last few years and have missed how insane young liberals have become.”
White even ended his column with a quote from the book of Ezekiel, the way Crawford ended his. (Crawford’s columns run every Tuesday in the Enterprise-Journal, but space limits usually require removal of the Bible verse.)
Thanks to White, we should know soon what Mississippi’s diversity programs are up to. But even if it’s the worst situation imaginable, his findings won’t be comparable to the auditor’s primary job of making sure public governments spend taxpayer money properly, and that public employees aren't stealing any of it.
White is a better man than the snide remarks he aimed at Crawford. Let’s hope he has not chosen the quick and easy path, beginning a transformation from a capable public servant, whose accomplishments already point to a bright future, to a mere “fighter” who allows "gotcha" politics rather than common sense to guide him.
— Jack Ryan, McComb Enterprise-Journal
