Part 3: Competent White Men Need You…To Inform on Your Colleagues

This is a four part series. If you haven’t read part one and part two, start here.

In 2021, American political theorist Roger Berkowitz authored an article called “Dangerous Neighbors” about the Texas abortion law, and his focus was on the danger of having neighbors become undercover informers on each other. He begins his article with a general statement on the topic, “One feature of authoritarian or totalitarian regimes is their use of informants and everyday citizens to enforce ideological conformity.” 

In the current administration if you are a true patriot, you should be willing to inform on your coworkers if they worked on DEI programs. And it would be best for you if you did it quickly. 

Last month federal employees across multiple agencies and departments received emails warning that they could face repercussions if they failed to report coworkers who worked in DEI positions that the new administration has not identified yet. 

The emails warned, “we are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language”  employees were directed to inform if they were aware of any change in contract language or personnel position description to obscure DEI involvement since Nov 5.

The email also dangled a carrot and a stick - no adverse consequences if the information was reported in a timely fashion. But if there was a failure to report the information within 10 days? Adverse consequences might result. Inform on your co-workers and be quick about it – not for stealing or violating the law – for being involved, at any level, in work related to equity or racial justice.

Tuskegee Airmen stand with an airplane and prepare to receive commissions and wings from Colonel Kimble, Commanding Officer of the Tuskegee Army Flying School, Tuskegee, Alabama, 1942.

What do they want to know about? We saw decisions scrubbing and then re-instating information about the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS) from government agency sites – many in the military “paused” things like Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Holocaust Day of Remembrance…just what should you inform about? If it was you, what would you do?

This is yet another example of how desperate this administration is to eliminate voices of dissent. When dissenting voices are speaking the truth, false narratives are in trouble.

THE PUSHBACK

Are you thinking about pushback? Ask yourself these kinds of questions.

What kind of lawsuits are being filed and who’s filing them?

What public protests are happening and how am I supporting them?

What is your employer doing?

What is any group you belong to doing?

What is your school board doing?

What is happening in your city, county, and state governments?

How are you educating yourself about the issues?

Where are you spending and investing your time and money?

What groups are you supporting with financial and/or other resources?