The Civil War exemplifies the magnificence and humility of our country. At no time in world history has another nation turned inward against itself in armed combat to end slavery. We lost over 750,000 Americans and amended the United States Constitution by adding the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to secure unalienable rights for all who had been wrongfully denied them.
Since then, eight civil rights acts have been enacted, the landmark of which is the Civil Rights Act of 1964 due to its comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Our collective, ongoing determination to achieve a more perfect union as our founders envisioned is indisputable proof that the American Dream persists.
Now, just sixty years after President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, racism is again rearing its ugly head in America. Only today racism is directed at white and Asian men. And, incredibly, it’s actually defended, bolstered, and outright lauded by legacy media, politicians, corporations, universities, social-media activists, and even the president.
Under the guise of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), both the private and public sectors have adopted brazenly discriminatory policies that judge Americans according to skin color, sex, ethnicity, and “gender identity.” In doing so, they have inverted the American Dream, turning it into a nightmare for democracy.
These odious policies are the creation of the highest levels of our federal government, with President Biden implementing a “whole-of-government equity agenda,” particularly by way of Executive Orders 13985 and 14091. Many organizations use race and sex-based quotas, which is patently illegal under federal law.
The DEI industrial complex was essentially untouchable. Nobody had been willing to challenge its legality. Then America First Legal burst onto the scene in 2021.
We quickly emerged as one of the nation’s preeminent civil rights organizations because, unlike the ACLU, we chose to — lo and behold — actually focus on civil rights rather than political ideology.
When it comes to specifically taking on DEI, no organization has been more impactful, effective, and aggressive than AFL. In just under three years, we have defeated racism in all spheres of American society.
On the federal level, we sued and successfully defeated the Farm Loan Forgiveness Program and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which put white farmers and restaurant owners last in line to receive COVID-19 relief funds because they simply happened to be white.
On a state level, we forced Minnesota, Utah, and New Mexico to rescind their racist policy of distributing life-saving COVID-19 treatment based on race.
More recently, we have set our target on corporate America, which proudly and unapologetically foments anti-white and anti-male discrimination. We have now filed over two dozen federal civil rights complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against, among others, IBM, Macy’s, Starbucks, Mars, BlackRock, United, American, Alaska, and Southwest. We have also filed lawsuits against Amazon, Progressive Insurance, Meta, Texas A&M, and NYU for alleged racial and sex discrimination that predominantly excludes straight, white men from being hired, receiving career advancements and bonuses, and gaining academic admissions.
We also have a historic class-action lawsuit on behalf of a Texas resident against six medical schools for illegally using race and sex preferences in admissions to medical school, a practice that glaringly violates Title VI, Title IX, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
For the first time in modern history, corporate America and universities are paying attention. According to the media, DEI initiatives across the country are being scaled back and rescinded thanks to America First Legal’s unwavering commitment to equality and the rule of law.
AFL’s mission to end discrimination in America has been additionally bolstered by the Supreme Court in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard College. In that case, Asian applicants were denied consideration for admission at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina simply because they were Asian, a blatantly illegal and morally repugnant practice analogous to Harvard’s policy of limiting Jewish applicants with admission quotas in the 1950s.
For too long, America has been at the mercy of the cause du jour of the Academic Industrial Complex, which spreads its morally bankrupt and radical ideas throughout government, corporate America, Big Tech, and K-12 education. The result is that our founding principles and our Constitution have gradually been replaced by the cynical and dangerous ideas of elites. The result is a country where winners and losers are once again chosen based on immutable characteristics such as race and sex.
As long as DEI remains, it will be a barrier to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that puts the dreams of Americans out of reach. Our destiny as a nation must be determined, not by such immutable characteristics, but rather by talent, achievement, hard work, and dedication. AFL will continue to fearlessly be the tip of the spear in the battle to eradicate radical ideology and propel America to further heights.
Ian Prior, author of “Parents of the World Unite,” senior adviser at America First Legal, and executive director of Fight for Schools.
Reed D. Rubinstein is senior counselor and director of oversight and investigations for America First Legal. Ian Prior is senior advisor for America First Legal.