A recent C-SPAN call turned into a tiny but telling moment for anyone tired of the left’s identity politics. During a live discussion, a caller bluntly asked Heritage Foundation research fellow Delano Squires whether he was a “DEI hire,” trying to reduce a serious policy conversation to a cheap insult. The exchange didn’t land the way the caller hoped, and instead exposed how quickly Democrats and their allies leap to labels rather than engage substance.
Squires didn’t dodge the question — he answered it like a professional who has earned his place, saying there’s “no part of me that believes” he’s a DEI hire and pointing to a decade of work and long-standing intellectual investment in these issues. His calm, fact-based response revealed the emptiness of the attack: when you have results and respect, cheap smears bounce off. Americans deserve experts who debate policy, not ideologues who shout slogans and toss slurs when they can’t win on the facts.
This episode is more than a one-off TV moment; it’s a snapshot of a broader left-wing fraud. The same politicians and activists who preach DEI at every turn also weaponize the term to delegitimize anyone on the right — including black conservatives who reject the victimhood narrative. The hypocrisy is striking and shows that DEI isn’t really about helping people, it’s about enforcing a political litmus test and controlling institutions.
Let’s be clear about who Delano Squires is: he’s not a tag on a resume, he’s a Heritage research fellow with a track record on life, marriage, and family policy and a long history of writing about the challenges facing black America. Institutions like Heritage hire people for ideas and experience, not to check a box, and Squires’ work speaks for itself. Conservatives should celebrate scholars who put ideas and evidence first while the left churns out slogans.
Squires later discussed the incident on Jason Whitlock’s program, where the conversation turned to how identity politics has hollowed out real solutions for black families. That is the core conservative critique: real uplift comes from strong families, accountability, and opportunity, not from bureaucratic DEI offices that reward conformity. Watching Squires turn the question back on his accusers was a reminder that courage and clear thinking still win in public debates.
Americans who love liberty should take this moment as a call to action: reject the smug moralizing of the left and the corrupt incentives of DEI, and support policies that restore pride, prosperity, and parental power. Vote for candidates and organizations that reward merit, strengthen families, and refuse to let political fashion dictate who gets a seat at the table. Our nation’s future depends on ideas and character, not on who can scream the loudest about diversity.
