CURTIS HILL: DEI is bad for the Black community. Merit is key for Black achievement

Stephen A.Smith sat down with President Donald Trump at the White House in mid-October and made a point that deserves more attention than the usual partisan scorekeeping.The ESPN commentator told Trump that the aggressive rollback of DEI programs has produced an unintended side effect: Private corporations are growing hesitant to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Donors fear that a gift once viewed as ordinary philanthropy will now be read as a DEI initiative, inviting government scrutiny or accusations of engaging in racial preferences.Smith, an HBCU graduate, said the president acknowledged he had not fully considered that chilling effect and said he would look into it.The conversation was useful precisely because it separated opposition to race-based mandates from hostility toward Black institutions and people.STEPHEN A SMITH DOUBLES DOWN ON TRUMP DINNER, CHALLENGES CRITICS BY ASKING, 'WHAT THE F--- ARE YOU DOING?'That distinction is essential.Stephen A.

Smith speaks on stage as he and Christopher Russo host SiriusXM shows live from Fanatics Fest at Javits Center on July 17, 2026, in New York City.(Getty Images for SiriusXM)Opposition to DEI programs that impose racial quotas, "check-the-box" hiring or the elevation of identity over competence is not anti-Black.

It is pro-equality and pro-merit.Preferential treatment that sorts Americans by race, ethnicity or sex violates the principle of equal treatment and, in some circumstances, runs afoul of federal anti-discrimination law.

It substitutes political fashion for individual achievement.OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE CLEARS WAY FOR WHITE EMPLOYEE TO CHALLENGE SEATTLE'S DEI POLICIESCompanies and universities that adopted these systems after 2020 often did so under intense social and reputational pressure, not because rigorous analysis showed they improved performance or expanded genuine opportunity.Corporate shareholder proposals seeking disclosure of the actual return on DEI spending — i...