Two Indianapolis pastors say the order creates a disadvantage for smaller businesses.
INDIANAPOLIS — The decision by Gov. Mike Braun to replace DEI – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – with MEI – Merit, Excellence and Innovation – isn’t sitting well for some Hoosiers.
“With the swipe of a pen, he rolled it back 50 years in the state of Indiana,” said Rev. Dr. Wayne Moore, of Olivet Baptist Church and president of the Baptist Minister’s Alliance.
Moore and Rev. David Greene Sr. say they were appalled at Braun’s executive order.
“We were underperforming in terms of DEI already as a state in terms of Black businesses, minority businesses, getting business in Indiana, so to come out and say, ‘OK, we’re going to eliminate that from day one was just alarming,'” said Greene Sr., pastor of Purpose of Life Ministries and president of Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis.
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Under the order, executive branch state agencies should not use state funds or resources to support DEI programs if they grant preferential treatment based on a person’s race or ethnicity.
Moore and Greene Sr. say the order creates a disadvantage for smaller businesses.
“How do you prove merit? You have to get your first opportunity to prove that ‘I can get to my second opportunity,’ and if you reduce those, I’ll never get to opportunities 10, 11 and 12 because somebody could say, ‘Well, this other company had more merit than you,'” Greene Sr. said.
Lawmakers echo the pastors’ sentiment on Braun’s executive order eliminating DEI in state government.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion is not about giving any group a handout. It’s about giving everyone access by expanding opportunities for even more talented and qualified individuals, regardless of their identity,” said Rep. Earl Harris Jr. (D-District 2), a member of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus. “It’s good for Indiana and good for Hoosiers.”
The caucus called the order a distraction, arguing the governor should be focusing on other things, like maternal health coverage and housing affordability.
Pastors say another issue is Indiana is behind in achieving objectives from a disparity study to increase minority participation in business.
“We have been woefully behind in achieving the objectives that are part of that disparity study in terms of reaching 7% for minority participation, which we set at 3%,” Greene Sr. said. “If you’re woefully behind now, don’t expect all of a sudden, ‘We’re going to be increasing it’ because we just said to larger businesses, ‘You don’t have to be inclusive.'”
They’re also concerned about what this could mean for universities.
“We had one university that had already, prior to all of this, a couple years back, got rid of their DEI office. All of that is just going to snowball, and we’re going to see a robust – not a positive robust – but a negative robust of the different behaviors in people here in Indiana,” Moore said.
These are all concerns these clergy will be keeping their eyes on.
“He just signed his name and rolled back the history of all that that was put together to make the state what it is,” Moore said.
“And we’re going to have to rebuild it,” Greene Sr. said.
“He tore it down with a pen,” Moore said.
