Darkness, Hate, And The GOP’s Assault On MLK’s Dream

How Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans undermine the legacy of Dr. King.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” These words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are some of his most powerful, calling for love and light strong enough to overcome hate and injustice. On MLK Day, this quote invites us to reflect on how far America has come in addressing systemic racism and how far we still have to go. It’s a day to remember Dr. King’s unwavering fight for equity, inclusion, and justice and the challenges in realizing his dream.

Yet, as we celebrate King’s legacy, it’s worth asking: are we truly honoring his vision or just paying lip service to it?

Governor Greg Abbott tweeted these stirring words this morning, evoking Dr. King’s message of hope. But in a nation still grappling with racial inequality and in a state where policies often undermine diversity and inclusion, Abbott’s tweet blatantly exposes the chasm between his rhetoric and his divisive actions that contradict it.

Nice words from a not-so-nice man, who only four days ago tweeted an entirely different message:

Abbott said earlier this week that “we” (the Texas Legislature) will ban DEI in grades K-12. DEI, again.

Diversity: The presence of different people and perspectives.

Equity: Fair access, opportunity, and support for everyone.

Inclusion: Genuine involvement, engagement, and acceptance of all people.

The reason Abbott’s promise sounds like a Jim Crow echo is that banning DEI initiatives undermines the very principles Dr. King fought and died for. It sounds like white supremacy because it is.

Texas is headed toward racially segregated schools.

In 2021, Republicans in the Texas Legislature passed a bill banning “CRT” in Texas schools, which was their interpretation of what they believed Critical Race Theory to be. It was about preventing Texas children from knowing the truth about America’s past, the Lost Cause 2.0. You know, because if they don’t know that slave-owners and America wrote the constitution was built on slavery, then they’ll be more likely to believe they’ll succeed in a meritocracy.

The ban on “CRT” was about expanding systematic racism. If you have any doubt, here was the debate when it happened in the 87th Legislature, which proves it was a white supremacist bill:

Of course, in 2021, we knew that when Republicans banned teaching certain aspects of American history in Texas public schools, they still didn’t understand MLK’s message. Still, they passed the bill. Then, in 2023, they doubled down.

In the 88th Legislative Session, Republicans went on to completely ban Critical Race Theory from being taught at higher institutions, where it would be appropriate subject matter. Listen to Senator Roland Gutierrez (D-SD19) criticize the confusion and contradictions surrounding a Republican’s ban on CRT in Texas universities.

However, the expansion of the CRT ban in the 88th Legislative Session was far from the most racist bill Republicans passed. No, the most racist bill to come from Texas in 2023 was Senator Brandon Creighton’s (R-SD04) DEI ban in universities.

When the DEI ban of the 88th was moving through the Legislature, we discussed it extensively:

• April 25, 2023: Banning Diversity...To Increase Diversity?

• May 22, 2023: Beyond Political Games: Understanding the Profound Impact of the Assault on DEI in Texas

• July 3, 2023: The GOP’s Regressive Plans To Push Whiteness In Texas Colleges And Universities

• July 13, 2023: Texas Republicans Plot Path Toward Segregation

The debates surrounding DEI were some of the most appalling and racist spectacles I’ve ever seen, mostly coming from Senator Creighton. Like at this moment, when he called diversity “defacto racism:”

Or here, when he said diversity was unfair to Conservatives:

So, if anyone ever wants to know why I hate Brandon Creighton, there’s your answer.

Republicans are under the impression that they are oppressed as white men in America and think by making laws to elevate their whiteness, they will be “evening the playing field.” It’s really just plain, old-fashioned racism.

The repercussions of the last session’s DEI ban.

One of the first things that happened was soon after Texas A&M hired Professor Kathleen McElroy to revive its journalism program, the Texas Scorecard wrote a piece about her, saying she focused on race and its intersection with journalism. McElroy, a respected journalist with a lengthy career, is also a Black woman.

As a result of the Texas Scorecard’s assassination piece, Conservatives feigned outrage and pressured the A&M board of reagents to recent their offer to McElroy. While Conservatives claimed that their hatred of Elroy was because she taught about intersectionality, it’s hard to ignore that she is the first person attacked under Texas’ new DEI ban, and she also happens to be Black.

Because of the Conservative outrage, led by the Texas Scorecard, Texas A&M rescinded her offer and replaced it with an offer of a one-year contract. She declined and promptly sued Texas A&M for racial discrimination. A&M quickly settled for $1 million.

Immediately after this law was passed, the Conservatives used it to fire a Black professor. The law was working as it was intended, as it was debated.

The legislation at the University of Texas-Austin resulted in resource cancellations, office closures, staff firings, and more than 60 people lost their jobs. 

Senator Creighton made clear in his debate regarding the bill that there were to be fewer opportunities for immigrants and students of color, and his intended outcome was for universities to hire more white professors.

Greg Abbott is promising to extend the DEI ban to Texas public schools.

In Texas public schools, students of color make up 73.7% of the student body.

Source

When Republicans push their latest iteration of white supremacy into Texas public schools, what does this mean for children?

It means that children of color, who already face systemic barriers to success, will have even fewer opportunities to thrive. Banning DEI programs in public schools ensures that efforts to level the playing field for marginalized students are stripped away, leaving them without the support and resources they need to overcome institutional disadvantages.

Programs designed to foster an inclusive environment, celebrate cultural diversity, and address disparities in access and achievement will be gutted.

By erasing conversations about race, equity, and inclusion, Republicans are ensuring that students grow up without the tools to critically analyze the world around them. They are fostering ignorance under the guise of protecting children, but in reality, they are perpetuating a system of racial inequality that will echo for generations to come.

If DEI is removed from Texas public schools, we’ll see the same outcomes in higher education. There are fewer opportunities for marginalized students, a chilling effect on teachers who want to discuss real-world issues, and a growing gap in representation and equity. And for what? To appease the grievances of those who feel “oppressed” by diversity?

The future that Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans are building is not one where all children have a fair shot.

And leave it up to Confederate Stan to be the one to champion the bill.

Confederate Stan, also known as Representative Stan Gerdes (R-HD17), won his first election by promising to defend the legacy of the Confederacy. He’s the guy on the right:

While Confederate Stan already filed HB1521 to ban diversity in Texas schools and state entities, all it took was Abbott’s tweet to show off his Confederatesque boot-licking skills:

Here’s what his bill would do:

• Governmental entities are barred from establishing or maintaining DEI offices.

• Entities cannot hire or contract individuals or organizations to perform DEI-related functions.

• It prohibits activities or training referencing unconscious bias, systemic oppression, anti-racism, social justice, intersectionality, or gender theory.

• Individuals can file complaints with the Attorney General if they believe a governmental entity is violating this law.

Republicans are well aware that the opposite of anti-racism is racism.

HB1521 by Confederate Stan seeks to expand systematic white supremacy in Texas. (SB689 by Senator Bryan Hughes is identical.)

Governor Abbott’s celebration of MLK Day is as hollow as the GOP’s entire platform on racial equity.

Tweeting Dr. King’s words of love and light while championing policies that dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives is not just insincere—it’s a deliberate affront to everything King stood for. Abbott and his Republican colleagues love to point to the Democratic Party’s history of racism from two centuries ago but conveniently ignore the fact that their party has taken up the mantle of white supremacy in modern America.

The GOP thrives on sowing division and fear, weaponizing the idea of “others” to maintain power. Whether it’s banning CRT, gutting DEI programs, or erasing the hard truths of America’s racist past, their goal is clear: to suppress progress, deny opportunity to marginalized communities, and uphold a system designed to benefit the privileged few.

Dr. King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” On this MLK Day, we must recognize the hypocrisy of those who invoke his words while actively perpetuating injustice. Abbott’s actions, and those of the GOP at large, remind us that their vision for America is one rooted in exclusion and hate. They are trying to destroy not just King’s dream but the future of equality in this nation.

The fight for equity, inclusion, and justice is far from over, and it’s on all of us to carry forward King’s dream in the face of leaders who continue to stand on the side of oppression. Texas deserves better than the party of hate.

• January 24: Left In Texas Podcast - Representative Ana-Maria Ramos

• March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.

• June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.

• Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.

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