ELON MUSK ATTACKS AIRLINES’ DEI EFFORTS, PROMPTING CRITICISM FROM CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS

Musk claimed DEI efforts by United Airlines and Boeing will make air travel less safe.

DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, INCLUSION

by Sharelle Burt

January 13, 2024

Tesla CEO and X/Twitter’s “Chief Troll Officer,” Elon Musk, ruffled some feathers with his tweets about diversity, equity and inclusion, irritating civil rights groups, NBC News reports. 

After criticizing DEI efforts by United Airlines and Boeing wanting to hire pilots and factory workers of color, he went on making false claims that diversifying workspaces will make air travel less safe.

He even blamed airlines for focusing more on DEI requirements than finding “qualified pilots.”  

“The airline industry can’t find enough qualified pilots even without insane DEI requirements!”

His tweets caught the attention of the president and CEO of the National Urban League, Marc Morial, who called Musk’s statements “abhorrent and pathetic.” Morial highlighted how Tesla is facing numerous Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuits after being accused of abusing Black employees with racial slurs and nooses found on work grounds.

“Musk’s company not only refused to investigate complaints or take any steps to end the abuse, it viciously retaliated against employees who complained or opposed the abuse,” Morial said. “The only thing anyone needs to hear from Musk about diversity in the workplace is an apology.”

Musk’s comments were sparked after an Alaska Airlines plane made an emergency landing on Jan. 5 when a panel blew off 16,000 feet in the air. “It will take an airplane crashing and killing hundreds of people for them to change this crazy policy of DIE,” Musk tweeted, misspelling the DEI acronym. 

NAACP President Derrick Johnson took another route by criticizing Musk’s comments, saying they may promote hate speech, according to The Hill. “Reminder to @elonmusk: providing a home for the proliferation of hate speech and white supremacist conspiracy theories kills people. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion cultivates a more inclusive society,” Johnson tweeted. 

“They are not the same. We are not the same.”

Another notable giving Musk the side eye is Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban. The two have been battling it out on social media, leading Cuban to chime in on the tech billionaires’ remarks. After Musk attacked the airlines DEI efforts, Cuban rebutted saying the efforts applies to training school and not the airline. 

Elon’s only response was, “Mark Cuban is a racist.” 

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