Black Caucus, @EFillerCorn: Youngkin "DEI is Dead" Diversity Chief Should Resign #Virginia
MARTIN “DEI IS DEAD” BROWN RESIGNATION CALLS BUILD. On April 21, Martin Brown declared that “DEI is dead” at a rambling speech to staff and faculty at Virginia Military Institute (VMI). Brown, who is the third “Diversity, Opportunity and Equity” Chief appointed under Gov. Glenn Youngkin, declared that the subject matter of the office he runs is “dead” during his April 21, 2023 remarks at VMI in Lexington.
“Let’s take a moment right now to kill that cow. DEI is dead,” said Youngkin DEI head Martin Brown on April 21.
The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus has now joined the Virginia NAACP in calling for Brown to resign. They were joined yesterday by former Virginia House Speaker, Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn. Filler-Corn noted the legal requirements in the Virginia Code related to Martin Brown’s office.
“Chief Brown has not only failed to uphold his duties according to Virginia law, but he is also actively condemning the mission of his own office,” Filler- Corn stated.
Gov. Youngkin appointed Brown, 60, last November. Video and audio of Brown’s remarks were first posted by The Washington Post on April 27 as reporter Ian Shapira continues to break news related to race at VMI. Neither TheVirginian-Pilot or The Richmond Times-Dispatch has reported on the Brown controversy. The Dispatch was notorious for their support of massive resistance, which they later expressed for a half century later, and their lack of coverage of VMI’s racism issues generally.
In June 2021, an independent report on Virginia Military Institute found a “racist and sexist culture,” at VMI. That report, conducted independently by Barnes & Thornburg Law Firm for $1M, can be downloaded here:
Martin Brown has no known prior experience in the Human Resources field with regard to diversity or any other related hiring specialty. His LINKEDIn page reveals that he spent four years at the Heritage Foundation as a fellow and three years as a full time Chic-Fil-A manager at the 4920 West Broad Street in Richmond prior to his employment in the Youngkin Administration. Brown’s current salary is $160,000.
🚩 RELATED: The Virginia NAACP Calls on Youngkin’s “DEI is Dead” DEI Chief to Resign
“Isn’t the DEI officer supposed to support diversity, equity and inclusion? Not in Youngkin’s Administration. It’s dead according to Martin Brown. His words or sentiments of his boss? Either way, he needs to go and the Administration needs to be honest about its position on DEI,” wrote State Senator Mamie Locke on social media on April 28.
Below is 2 minutes of video of Brown saying “DEI is dead” on April 21.
Virginia’s first diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Janice Underwood, was appointed by Gov. Ralph Northam in September 2019.
The DEI position is mandated by the Code of Virginia to “develop a sustainable framework to promote inclusive practices across state government; (ii) implement a measurable, strategic plan to address systemic inequities in state government practices; and (iii) facilitate methods to turn feedback and suggestions from state employees, external stakeholders, and community leaders into concrete equity policy,” Del. Filler-Corn pointed out in her statement requesting that Brown resign.
Brown, 60, would appear to have nothing on his resume, posted on LINKEDIN, related to hiring practices, see below:
Martin Brown’s former employer, the Heritage Foundation, gave their views on DEI yesterday.
Below is the resignation statement regarding Youngkin DEI Chief Martin Brown.
Former Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn Calls for Resignation of Chief Diversity Officer Martin Brown
Joins Virginia NAACP after the Chief Diversity Officer proclaimed "DEI is dead."
Springfield, VA -- Today, Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, 56th Speaker of the Virginia House, condemned remarks made by Governor Glenn Youngkin's Chief Diversity Officer, Martin D. Brown, who recently proclaimed diversity, equity, and inclusion "is dead" before saying "this governor has a different philosophy."
“To date, Chief Brown has not only failed to uphold his duties according to Virginia law, but he is also actively condemning the mission of his own office. He has made it clear he would rather focus on division than diversity,” said Eileen Filler-Corn, 56th Speaker of the Virginia House. “This extreme rhetoric is far outside of the mainstream of Virginia voters. I stand with the Virginia NAACP in calling for Chief Brown’s resignation – if he refuses to resign, Governor Youngkin must have him replaced.”
In 2020, Speaker Filler-Corn worked with Governor Ralph Northam and Democratic majorities in the legislature to create the position of the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The position is mandated by the Code of Virginia to “develop a sustainable framework to promote inclusive practices across state government; (ii) implement a measurable, strategic plan to address systemic inequities in state government practices; and (iii) facilitate methods to turn feedback and suggestions from state employees, external stakeholders, and community leaders into concrete equity policy”.
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Any state employee who cannot respect our laws is incapable of upholding them and, thus, will ONLY UNDERMINE them! That's not to be tolerated! What he said comes out of who he is and what he believes. He can call it what he wants; we call him G.O.N.E.