Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) suggested that her Democratic Party should stick to its principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As corporations and universities phase out their DEI initiatives and transition to reviewing candidates based on merit instead of race, Beatty suggested her potential role as Democratic National Committee vice chairwoman would feature a return to the practice. As DEI tends to follow trainings that mandate racially diverse workplaces and classrooms, Beatty’s position on such practices echoes that of outgoing DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison, suggesting she would not run the party much differently.
“We need a platform with those individuals from the top down — officers who are pledging they will be inclusive. I think that we have to make sure people do not abandon diversity and equity,” Beatty said on PoliticsNation Saturday. “We can’t have a party that’s one-sided. That is not just race and gender and ethnicity. It is thought, it is demographics, and I plan to be a part and will work with anybody that won’t close out people. That’s why my plan is ‘Count Us In’ plan.”
According to Beatty, this is why she supported Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez‘s (D-NY) snub from the House Oversight Committee Chair position. Beatty explained, “You can’t have everyone to be young or everyone to be senior,” but instead praised a “combination” in the House.
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Harrison suggested in a speech earlier this month that people of color should notice that the Democratic Party fights for them. As a black man, he said he “can’t rub this off” or “run away from” his identity.
The DNC will elect its next chair on Feb. 1. Those in the running include state party chairmen Ken Martin of Minnesota and Ben Wikler of Wisconsin, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, and New York state Sen. James Skoufis, and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.