A think tank is sounding the alarm that Texas A&M—traditionally a conservative university—is turning out social justice activists, discriminating against whites, and spending millions on left-wing diversity programs.
The Claremont Institute, a conservative organization based in California, released an investigative report on Feb. 10 that said a divisive, “un-American” ideology under the innocuous-sounding term Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is spreading at Texas A&M University and beyond.
The report, “How Texas A&M Went Woke,” was written by Scott Yenor, an author and Boise State University professor of political science. He said that the university has been expanding its diversity programs, which run counter to founding American principles.
DEI is a euphemism for critical race theory (CRT) or progressivism. CRT is a Marxist-based theory that divides people, usually based on race or gender, and believes America is systemically racist and must be dismantled.
One of the main focal points of DEI is equity, where outcomes need to be the same for everyone, not equality, where everyone’s treated the same.
DEI programs have advocated for hiring minorities instead of whites. Some applaud DEI as a way of correcting past discrimination in America by leveling the playing field to favor minorities when hiring, applying for college, or selecting for other opportunities.
The Texas A&M School of Medicine made headlines recently for an incident where photos of the predominantly white male graduating class were removed from a display near the entrance to the school as a sign of the college’s commitment to DEI.
During a faculty senate meeting in January, school administrators at Texas A&M downplayed the incident, saying it happened in 2019 and blamed an employee who no longer works at the university. The administrators also said they wanted the legislators to understand that DEI wasn’t harmful.
Texas A&M did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
The push for DEI was noted in 2017, when the university examined, “the progress represented by the steady decline in the percentage of white men among faculty, in the student body, and in leadership, positions,” according to the report.
