Is this racist

[Whoiam]

I am seeing many posts about Charlie Kirk being racist. I also note that there are references to his stance on DEI.

I am interested, is this racist nowadays?

https://youtube.com/shorts/8HDYrISA1TY?si=m7vBABFnGn-6uqBy

YABU- yes
YANBU-no

Yes, Charlie Kirk was racist on the subject of DEI.

His mislead people into believing that DEI is about hiring unqualified ethnic minorities, when really it’s about mentoring and professional development for ethnic minorities, to give them some semblance of a playing field with white people.

.

He and others made out that it meant dragging random black, queer, trans, women etc off the streets to steal white mens jobs when actually it’s about thinking about equally qualified people and if one is over represented and shifting the power dynamics a bit. There’s female MPs that run whole programmes for women to give them the skills to campaign and become MPs/ get into politics.

Yes it's racist, because it deliberately misrepresented what DEI actually is, which is providing opportunities to those who might not otherwise get them. Even just advertising jobs in areas where they previously hadn't been could be a DEI initiative. It doesn't remove anything from anyone, or stop the job offer from being based on competency.

Yes Charlie Kirk was a racist, and support the dissolving of DEi.he was all for it.

Look up Tuskegee Airmen - I'd have been honoured to have flown with any of them, just like the crews they protected.

Should people be given jobs on merit not quotas? Yes.
Should under represented groups be encouraged - yes, to apply.

Agree with PPs who say it was racist

What is the relevance of this meme to race/racism? Is it supposed to imply that certain races are less able (shorter in this analogy) than others? Because I find that troubling.

I understand this meme as relating to disability but not race.

Uniquivocally. In his own words....

On race
If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.
– The Charlie Kirk Show, 23 January 2024

If you’re a WNBA, pot-smoking, Black lesbian, do you get treated better than a United States marine?
– The Charlie Kirk Show, 8 December 2022

Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more.
– The Charlie Kirk Show, 19 May 2023

If I’m dealing with somebody in customer service who’s a moronic Black woman, I wonder is she there because of her excellence, or is she there because of affirmative action?
– The Charlie Kirk Show, 3 January 2024

If we would have said that Joy Reid and Michelle Obama and Sheila Jackson Lee and Ketanji Brown Jackson were affirmative action picks, we would have been called racists. Now they’re coming out and they’re saying it for us … You do not have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a white person’s slot to go be taken somewhat seriously.
– The Charlie Kirk Show, 13 July 2023

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/11/charlie-kirk-quotes-beliefs

It is illustrating the difference between equality and equity. Discussion here: https://interactioninstitute.org/illustrating-equality-vs-equity/

I know it well. I object to it being used for race. Used in that way, it implies that some races are less able than others. Which race is supposed to be that little guy? Just no.

This really made me laugh 😂 I hadn’t really appreciated there were people who had so little experience of DEI

My understanding from an American friend is that, unfortunately, in America DEI was not run the way EDI is in the UK. What you and other posters describe is how it is in the UK and it is easy for us to assume that it done the same over the pond.

I am only repeating how it was explained to me, by someone of a minority themselves, so if this is not the case and all the posters here are very familiar with how it was run in the states, then I stand corrected.

I was told that the educational opportunities were not being put in place for disadvantaged groups so that they could bridge that gap and be as equally qualified as anyone else. That is a huge failing compared to how we run EDI in the UK and if I was told accurately, it needs correcting.

Oh I have a lot of experience, we have twice yearly training on it. I'm mixed race myself. I'm raising my eyebrows hard at the concept that you can represent different races as a tall strong guy vs a tiny boy both trying to watch a game. It's a no from me.

I really wouldn't admit to such stupidity in public.

It isn't about being less able. It is about not having the same opportunities in life. By providing people with opportunities they have not been able to access because of their background, you enable them to develop talents they already have and access better paid highly skilled work for which they do in fact have the talent. Equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome.

It's like taking someone from a council estate with a very high IQ but very little support at home and giving them the scholarship and the training rather than giving that same scholarship to someone wealthy and middle class who is already going to private school and accessing internships because of who their parents know.

It is blinkered rudeness like this that puts people off the DEI industry. You aren't even listening to what I'm saying.

Using measures to counteract systemic disadvantage is arguably good. But this meme represents innate ability vs disability, in thos case height. Can you not see how gross that is when related to race.

By all means stick your fingers in your ears and call me stupid. Or, you know, actually listen and think about what I'm saying

It isn't about being less able. It is about not having the same opportunities in life.

Don't represent that as a short vs a tall person then. Maybe two tall people but one has nice shoes and the other has no shoes, something like that.

With tall and short that's innate. That's basically saying some races are born better, if you use this meme for race. It is BS

It’s literally the oldest most commonly used image in DEI! I swear I’ve seen it several times a year for at least 10!

eta- presumably if you’re familiar with it you know what it represents and that it’s nothing to do with short people

@MumoftwoNC I am pondering this and would agree the illustration is perhaps a bit crude (hence posting discussion of it in the link above), but I don't have the brain power tonight to properly explain. The colour of the people is perhaps a distraction.
Tall = advantage/no barriers
Small = disadvantage/barriers

I wouldn't usually do this and am really not keen on the AI summary sythesis paragraphs, but I have checked it and it seems pretty accurate:

"The image most often used to explain equity versus equality shows three people of different heights trying to see over a fence. In the equality illustration, each person receives a box of the same size, but only the tallest person can see over the fence. In the equity illustration, people receive boxes of different heights tailored to their needs, allowing everyone to see over the fence and enjoy the view.

Equality
Concept: Treats everyone identically, providing the same resources or opportunities.
Visual: Three people, each receiving a single, identical box to stand on.
Outcome: Only the tallest person can see over the fence, while the others still cannot.

Equity
Concept: Acknowledges individual differences and provides resources based on need to ensure everyone has a fair chance to succeed.

Visual: The same three people, but they each receive a differently sized box. The shortest person gets the tallest box, the middle person gets a medium-sized box, and the tallest person may not need one at all.

Outcome: All three people are able to see over the fence.

Why the difference matters
Fairness:
While equality treats everyone the same, equity focuses on fairness by ensuring everyone gets what they need to reach the same outcome.

Addressing barriers:
Equity addresses the specific barriers different individuals face, creating a truly inclusive and supportive environment.

Driving change:
Equity is about driving deeper, more meaningful change by tackling the root causes of disparity, rather than just providing the same surface-level treatment."

I think this stand in UK and US, though as PP have expressed the execution/application of EDI/DEI in practice does have differences in each country.

Yup. And if it use it for race, it's shit and offensive, in my opinion, which I've taken the time to explain even though I think it's going over people's heads.

The problem with a lot of diehard DEI-ers is they'd rather be right-on than actually listen to people, including racial minorities they're being saviours for.

Yes, it’s racist and Charlie Kirk was, himself, a massive racist. The fact that he’s dead doesn’t erase the fact that he was a repellent fascist.

It’s just using an example. Disadvantage can be innate, as in the meme, or structural. The meme simply shows the difference between equality and equity using the example of innate disadvantage. The principle still applies to structural disadvantage. Do you really need a separate meme for that?

And the three people in the cartoon have the same skin colour and all appear to be male.

Think of the short one, as the underrepresented community. They need more of a boost to be represented in the workplace.