Some of you have been following the discussion of critical race theory and “wokeness” at Grove City College. If you haven’t, get up to speed here and here and here and here.
Let’s go back to the February 16, 2022 statement by the Grove City Board of Trustees. Part of it reads:
We unqualifiedly reaffirm GCC’s Christ-centered mission and commitment to a free society, traditional values, and the common good. That has not changed one iota and will not change on our watch. Fidelity to the College’s founding principles secures GCC’s unique place as an oasis in American higher education. In particular, the Board categorically rejects Critical Race Theory and similar “critical” schools of thought as antithetical to GCC’s mission and values.
The chair of the Grove City College Board of Trustees is Edward D. Breen. He is a 1978 graduate of Grove City and currently serves as the Executive Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of DuPont.
In his role as DuPont CEO, Breen has led some very significant initiatives to promote racial justice at the corporation. These initiatives are very compatible with the teachings of critical race theory. Some might even say they are informed by CRT. For example, here is Breen’s letter to employees affirming DuPont’s commitment to “advancing racial equity and equality”:
Over the past several weeks we’ve been listening and connecting more deeply than ever on the topics of inequality, racism and discrimination. These injustices strike at the heart of not only basic human rights, but human decency. These are deeply systemic issues that won’t change overnight and require a collective and concerted effort across the political, societal and economic spectrum. As a purpose-driven company we have always considered our business efforts through the lens of how we can make a positive and lasting impact in our industries and our communities. It’s with that lens that I have asked our Senior Leadership Team to develop a strategic response and framework to identify the areas where our company can make meaningful and lasting progress.
A first and essential step is leadership accountability. I am personally committed to advancing equity and equality—these also happen to be key themes in my work with the Vatican’s Council for Inclusive Capitalism and as a Catalyst Champion. I along with Darrell Ford, Randy Stone, Daryl Roberts and Alexa Dembek, will lead and sponsor our efforts to address the issues facing the Black community. Rest assured, our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) remains broad but this moment in history demands a specific and targeted response to the daily and persistent racial injustices that Black Americans endure.
Addressing equity and equality also requires a sustained effort. To that end, we are committing $10 million over the next 10 years to support these initiatives in two key focus areas. The first is to advance economic opportunity encompassing education initiatives, talent development, mentoring and hiring practices that broaden and accelerate equity; the second is focused on achieving greater inclusivity, applying resources within our company and communities and partnering with organizations to address racism and eliminate bias and barriers to equality for Black and other minority people.
This step change in funding accompanies a step change in our approach to listening and engaging with our employees on these issues. Many of you have already shared your ideas through email and on Yammer, and I encourage you to continue the dialog and bring forward your suggestions. I want to thank the members of our Corporate Black Employees Network (CBEN) and all our Employee Resource Groups for their engagement; we will continue to ensure your voices are heard.
This step change in funding accompanies a step change in our approach to listening and engaging with our employees on these issues. Many of you have already shared your ideas through email and on Yammer, and I encourage you to continue the dialog and bring forward your suggestions. I want to thank the members of our Corporate Black Employees Network (CBEN) and all our Employee Resource Groups for their engagement; we will continue to ensure your voices are heard.
At DuPont, we have always been agents of change; our people and innovations have transformed the industries we serve and over the past several years we’ve reinvented our company. Now more than ever, we have the opportunity and imperative to help drive change that brings about true racial equity and justice.
Two things strike me about this letter:
- It does not just serve as a kind of general public relations letter that merely affirms that DuPont does not support racism. It includes some very specific steps towards addressing this issue at DuPont. Breen says that his commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) deserves a “specific and targeted response to the daily and persistent racial injustices that Black Americans endure.” This includes spending $10 million on DEI efforts and a new commitment to racial dialogue and conversation at DuPont. When it comes to matters of DEI, DuPont sounds more like a liberal arts college than the Grove City College described in the Board of Trustees statement about critical race theory quoted above. Breen has created five teams to deal with DEI at DuPont. The anti-woke crowd at Grove City is complaining about one course and a lecture by Jemar Tisby.
- Breen describes racism as “deeply systemic.” Systemic racism, of course, is a fundamental tenet of critical race theory. I would argue it is the most important tenet of critical race theory.
In another article at the DuPont website, DuPont VP Marc Doyle says: “Diversity and inclusion is not a ‘nice to have’ feature in an organization…It is absolutely critical in healthy, high-performing organizations with a future focus.” It also notes that CEO Breen is “committed” to “identifying and working to reduce any structural barriers or unconscious bias that may exist in our business….” I highlighted the phrases “structural barriers” and “unconscious bias” because it suggests that even people who do not perform overt racist acts may have a racial bias that they are not aware of and that only education or training might reveal. This sure sounds like critical race theory to me.
In conclusion, it appears that there is a disconnect between the views of Breen and the Board’s official statement on race at Grove City College. Or to put it another way, is the Edward Breen who led the Grove City College Board’s condemnation of critical race theory the same guy working for racial justice at DuPont? How do we reconcile the two Ed Breens?
I think that what passes for CRT today may reflect thinking that Breen does not accept.
First, I recall Kendi in his “How to be an Anti-Racist” calling out the market economy as inherently racist. The only way to deal with it is to abolish it and replace it with something equitable. I am sure Breen would not agree.
Second, part of what passes for CRT is something else I noted as part of Kendi’s story. His parents’ evangelical Christianity seemed to leave a bad taste in his mouth because of their commitment to a biblical view of marriage and the family (if I remember it correctly). This is something, of course, that Breen could not accept.
Third, the Puritans would certainly understand the meaning of unconscious bias as evidence of what John Owen called “indwelling sin” that needed to be uncovered constantly by rigorous self-examination.
Finally, structural barriers can be undone by the same kinds of efforts that erected them in the first place. Breen, I’m sure, would find this acceptable. However, the entire system does not need to be dismantled. The latter seems to be what CRT advocates and is certainly consistent with the movements that birthed the New Left mid-century. Destroy the system – we’ll worry about what to put in its place later on. That, I know, Breen could not accept.