An undercover investigation by Accuracy in Media (AIM) is exposing how local governments are rebranding their diversity, equity, and, inclusion programs under different names.
The City of Raleigh is under scrutiny after an undercover AIM journalist recorded Assistant Director of Economic and Social Advancement Briana Scurry discussing efforts to ensure the city’s DEI programs remain “as protected as possible.”
“We are certainly being strategic in the ways that we … we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves, number one, right, but also want to make sure that this work [DEI] is as protected as possible,” said Scurry in the video.
Multiple DEI veto overrides are currently on the North Carolina House for Monday Oct. 20 — House Bill 171, Senate Bill 227, and Senate Bill 558 — designed to curb the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion agenda in K-12 education, higher education, and in state and local government.
Brian Balfour, VP of research for the John Locke Foundation, says these ongoing programs are costing taxpayers a significant amount of money.
“Raleigh taxpayers have been footing a rapidly expanding bill for these DEI programs. The Raleigh Department of Economic and Social Advancement has a budget of $2.6 million and 19 employees. This marks a 69 percent spending increase in just three years,” Balfour told Carolina Journal.
There has been a growing national trend to root out DEI in government institutions. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” ending DEI initiatives within the federal government.
This isn’t the first time AIM has exposed hidden DEI efforts in North Carolina. Back in May, the group released a report revealing how UNC Charlotte continued DEI initiatives even after the UNC Board of Trustees directed campuses to move away from such programs.
Balfour pointed out that although the Department of Economic and Social Advancement within the City of Raleigh doesn’t include “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” in its title, it still operates under many of the same principles.
“The department’s ‘purpose’ – as stated on its website – is to ‘create community for all,’ an incredibly vague notion. It’s ‘Business Engagement and Opportunities’ program explicitly states a goal of favoring minority-owned businesses for city work contracts,” said Balfour. “The Department also features an ‘LGBTQIA+ police liaison’ and also has a ‘consulting lab’ in which one of its stated benefits is ‘initiatives that foster inclusivity.’”
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