Editor’s note: This column is part of Mississippi Today Ideas, a new platform for thoughtful Mississippians to share fact-based ideas about our state’s past, present and future. You can read more about the section here. 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives address systemic advantages historically accumulated by white individuals, often at the expense of marginalized communities.

Although these programs benefit various underrepresented groups — including women, individuals with disabilities and military veterans — public discourse frequently characterizes DEI primarily as a “Black issue.” This narrow framing is comparable to how social welfare programs are commonly portrayed, with Black Americans disproportionately depicted as their primary beneficiaries despite evidence to the contrary.

For those shielded from these realities, ignorance can be a privilege — one that DEI disrupts by fostering awareness of uncomfortable truths. For example, one luxury is dismissing DEI as simply an unearned liberal policy. A key component of DEI is training that exposes individuals to different cultures, histories and lived experiences. Understanding these perspectives helps dismantle biases and fosters inclusivity in workplaces, education and public policy. As a resident of Mississippi, a state with a complex racial history and a population consisting primarily of Blacks and Whites, I focus here on how these dynamics have shaped inequalities from a Black/White dynamic.

People often react defensively to discussions of racism, shutting down meaningful dialogue. But structural racism is not about individual prejudice — it’s about the laws, policies and systems that have historically advantaged White people while disadvantaging Black and other marginalized groups. These systems shape access to education, housing, economic opportunities and political representation. DEI is not about blaming individuals but about understanding and addressing the deeply rooted systems that perpetuate inequality.

White unearned advantage: the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow

While some argue that the abolition of slavery over 150 years ago should absolve current generations from addressing racial inequities (“Blacks should get over it”), this perspective overlooks how advantages gained during slavery were systematically preserved through legal frameworks.

In Mississippi, the transition from slavery did not lead to equality. The Mississippi Plan of 1875 effectively ended Reconstruction through organized terrorism, including lynchings and widespread election fraud. This campaign of violence paved the way for the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, which legally codified Black disenfranchisement through mechanisms like literacy tests and poll taxes.

These barriers were particularly insurmountable for Black citizens: literacy tests presented an almost impossible challenge for those who had been legally denied education under slavery, while poll taxes effectively excluded those who had been systematically prevented from accumulating wealth or accessing economic opportunities.

The effectiveness of these measures was striking. By 1964, only 6.7 percent of Black Mississippians were registered to vote, despite comprising a significant portion of the state’s population.

Far from being distant history, these deliberate policies created intergenerational advantages for Whites as it relates to economic opportunity, political representation and social mobility that continue to shape Mississippi’s racial landscape today. The effects of these systematic exclusions did not simply disappear with time but rather compounded over generations, creating disparities that persist in modern society.

Internalized oppression: When historical unawareness perpetuates inequality

The sanitization of history extends beyond its effects on White Americans, creating equally devastating consequences for Black individuals denied knowledge of their own heritage. When educational systems omit or minimize historical truths, Black Americans can develop a form of historical disconnect that leaves them unaware of their past and its impact on their present.

Perhaps most troublingly, this historical unawareness can manifest even among Black individuals in positions of authority. Leaders who haven’t been educated about the historical mechanisms of white supremacy may unwittingly implement policies or practices that discriminate against fellow Black community members, thereby perpetuating cycles of inequality within their own communities.

Educational disparities: funding and economic inequality

In the 1940s, White communities had access to better-funded schools, often subsidized by Black taxpayers. While Black citizens paid taxes that funded White schools, their own schools remained severely underfunded. In 1940, the state spent $133 per year to educate a White student, compared to just $33 per year for a Black student. This systemic inequity reinforced racial disparities that persist today.

A clear example of these funding disparities can be seen in Mississippi’s land-grant universities. Alcorn State University, an historically Black university and the state’s first land-grant institution, was established before Mississippi State University. In 1878, Alcorn was set to receive 60% of the state’s land-grant funding, but within a few years, its funding was drastically reduced — from $50,000 to $15,000, and eventually to just $5,000. Over the past 30 years, Alcorn has been underfunded by $257 million. In a zero-sum game, the decrease in funding for Alcorn leads to an increase in funding for Mississippi State.

These funding disparities affected educational opportunities and career trajectories. One Alcorn student highlighted the stark differences, explaining that their agricultural curriculum focused on small-scale, family farming of crops like greens, peas and okra. Meanwhile, students at Mississippi State University were trained in large-scale, commercial agriculture, cultivating high-profit crops such as cotton, corn and soybeans.

This divide has direct economic consequences. While Mississippi State graduates are positioned for lucrative careers in large-scale commercial agriculture, Alcorn State graduates are often limited to smaller-scale, lower-income farming opportunities. This disparity in educational investment has reinforced racial economic inequality, shaping access to wealth-generating careers for Whites, thereby deepening the racial wealth gap in Mississippi’s agricultural sector and broader economy.

The Mississippi Delta: A case study in economic neglect

One of the clearest examples of structural racism is found in the Mississippi Delta, where persistent Black poverty is directly tied to the legacy of slavery. This region had the highest concentration of enslaved Black people, yet there has never been any meaningful economic development to create sustainable industries or wealth.  The impact of this neglect is still evident today, as parts of the Mississippi Delta remain among the poorest areas in the world, a direct consequence of slavery and the policies that followed. Overall, one can see the impact of structural barriers in Mississippi. 

After slavery ended, White landowners created a system that ensured Black people remained economically dependent. Laws were passed that made it illegal for Black individuals to be unemployed, meaning they could be arrested if they were found without work. Those arrested were then leased out to White businesses and farms — essentially continuing slavery under a different name.

Without job opportunities, people in that region have had to rely on government assistance. Rather than recognizing these conditions as the product of historical exploitation, many reinforce biases that depict Black individuals as lazy or dependent. DEI challenges these false narratives by providing historical context — showing how slavery, segregation and systemic disinvestment created today’s racial wealth gap. Poverty in the Delta is reflected by the state as a whole. The poverty rate for Whites is 11% compared to an alarming 31% for Blacks.

Perceived threat: The browning of America and resistance to DEI

This opposition to DEI is deeply tied to the “browning of America” — the growing demographic shift where Black and Brown populations are increasing. For some Whites, this demographic shift is perceived as a threat, triggering a defensive response to maintain White dominance.

In his seminal 1949 work, Southern Politics in State and Nation, historian V.O. Key observed that in areas with large Black populations, Whites often implemented punitive policies that stifled the social, political and economic advancement of Black communities. This pattern continues today, as opposition to DEI initiatives reflects a broader reluctance to share power and resources with marginalized groups.

Why DEI matters

Some argue that teaching difficult history fosters division, but ignoring these truths only upholds inequality. In the Black-White context in Mississippi, the sanitization of this history maintains White supremacy. DEI ensures accountability, promotes fairness, and dismantles long-standing biases. Without it, structural racism remains hidden, allowing privileged individuals to continue benefiting from an unfair system without acknowledging it.

Eliminating DEI would preserve the luxury of ignorance, enabling those in power to remain comfortably unaware while marginalized communities suffer the consequences. The luxury for Whites, then, is being ignorant comfortably. DEI is not just about education. It’s about justice, equity and ensuring that future generations inherit a society where inclusion is non-negotiable.

For some Whites, luxury then is being ignorant comfortably.

Byron D’Andra Orey is professor of political science at Jackson State University. His research is in the area of race and politics. He currently serves as the president of the Southern Political Science Association and is one of the authors of the forthcoming book, Mississippi Conflict and Change. 

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