(DailyAnswer.org) – A public records request has revealed that the University of Michigan spent roughly $100,000 on an event praising the university’s “DEI 2.0” scheme. A lecture concentrating on hip-hop and critical race theory, a hip-hop performance and an espresso bar featured at the event in October 2023.
The event was announced by the public affairs department of the university. The annual DEI summit aimed to commemorate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary and, as the public affairs department stated, discuss its “intersection” with critical race theory. The statement added that the event would explore storytelling’s potential as a “driving force” behind social change.
Colleen Mastony, the university’s spokesperson, told reporters that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are the university’s core values. Mastony added that the DEI initiatives at the university are appropriate to the scale and complexity of the university’s 51 units and services supporting more than 50,000 members of staff and more than 50,000 students. The university spent roughly $60,000 on the two speakers on the one-day event.
A roundtable discussion was organized for the event, and North Carolina rapper Rapsody was among those performing at the event. Rapsody previously attacked former President Donald Trump in 2017, claiming that his victory in the 2016 election exposed the racism and hatred still present in the US. The rapper was paid $35,000 for the performance and her participation in the discussion.
In January 2024 it was reported that the university spent over $30 million on hiring 500 members of staff for DEI roles. The university claimed that the report was misleading, and that several employees in DEI roles also carried out other duties. The University of Michigan states in its definition of DEI that it is committed to increasing diversity relating to race, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, class, national origin, religious views and political views.
Former head of the Anti-Defamation League, Abe Foxman, said in December 2023 that DEI at universities should be scrapped rather than reformed. He argued that despite adopting DEI policies, universities were not doing enough to include the Jewish community and combat antisemitism.
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