ESPN's Mina Kimes Misses Mark In Defense Of DEI Hires

ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes posted a video on TikTok Thursday before the start of the NFL Draft, responding to a random user who referred to her as a "DEI hire."

Here is what she said:

"I get called DEI all day, every day, as of the last year or so. And no, there was no edict from anyone at ESPN saying, ‘You know what we really need? An Asian female NFL analyst.

"I do think diversity, equity, and inclusion applies to my initial hire at ESPN," she continued. "The editors at ESPN reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, we are trying to think outside the box and expand our scope. We want some different viewpoints.’

"That’s what diversity, equity, and inclusion is all about. It’s been twisted into a slur. It’s been [derogatory] to say people are unqualified, when in fact it’s to find people who are actually qualified but haven’t been considered or given the opportunities.

"So, yeah, I am a person who’s representative of DEI. And I think that's a good thing."

There is a lot there.

First, ESPN hired Kimes in 2014. DEI initiatives were much different 11 years ago compared to today. Kimes is correct that the concept was originally designed to push companies to expand their scope. However, like most social concepts, DEI morphed into something else.

DEI has since spiraled into a means to elevate unqualified people on the basis of their race, and discriminate against qualified people on the basis of theirs.

In fact, CBS and parent company Paramount Global settled a lawsuit this week for unlawful discrimination against – who else? – straight white males.

Sources say Kimes' employer, ESPN, places financial incentives in managers' contracts that reward executives for hiring employees of color. ESPN management is incentivized to hire