Good news this week from Richmond as the Northam-era Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office received a new leader and a new word.
Opportunity.
From Mel Leonor over at the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday named Angela Sailor, a policy expert at the Heritage Foundation who has criticized school lessons on systemic racism in the U.S., as the state’s new director of diversity, equity and inclusion.
As he named Sailor to the post, Youngkin also issued an executive order to refocus the office, tasking Sailor and her staff to work on economic opportunity, cooperation among different religious groups, promoting “free speech and civil discourse” at colleges and universities, and ensuring that the state’s history curriculum is “honest, objective, and complete.”
While conservatives may have preferred that the position simply remain vacant, Sailor’s pedigree when it comes to pushing back against the narratives of the progressive agenda isn’t merely impressive — her resume is inspiring.
Within the Cabinet, Sailor’s title will be “chief diversity, opportunity and inclusion officer,” swapping the word “equity” for “opportunity.”
Good.
Sailor, who is African American, will serve in Youngkin’s Cabinet and work with agency secretaries on the goals Youngkin laid out in his executive order. A new state law that went into effect last summer also tasks the office with overseeing the roll out of diversity, equity and inclusion plans at the state’s agencies.
Sailor worked in the White House Office of Public Liaison under President George W. Bush, after serving as the director of African American Affairs for Bush’s presidential campaign. Sailor was also the deputy chief of staff for former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige. She also worked for the Republican National Committee on building coalitions.
No small wonder why Virginia Democrats have been slamming Youngkin on the DEI DOI position.
One small hint? Sailor’s links with the Heritage Foundation indicate the influence of one Kay Coles James — the present Secretary of the Commonwealth and all around great American.
Either way, if the word opportunity strikes fear into the progressive legions? Let’s hear more about it.
