Conservative activists, politicians and pundits celebrated when Brown-Forman, the parent company of Jack Daniel’s and other brands, and the University of Kentucky recently cracked under the weight of threats from racists and homophobes and abandoned commitments to diversity. In February, University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said he opposed state legislative bills attacking Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and tenure. He opined that he found them “deeply concerning” and “at odds with the school’s mission.” Six months later, he’s changed his tune and announced UK will immediately eliminate its Office of Institutional Diversity and all mandatory university diversity training.
In his initial opposition to political attacks on diversity Capilouto said, “We don’t speak as an institution on public policy unless the issues will impact our entire community in potentially significant ways. This is one of those moments.” Now the word out of Lexington is DEI is done and neither he nor the university will make statements on “political or partisan events or issues.” It logically follows that the school and its leaders would remain silent even if Kentucky’s politicians tried to reinstitute the state’s 1904 Day Law and racially resegregate schools. After all – that would be “political”, wouldn’t it?