Earlier this week, billionaire Elon Musk supported a tweet that said Black students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have lower IQs and should not become pilots. He intentionally jumbled the letters of “diversity, equity and inclusion” to mock the concept.
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Civil Rights Groups Express Outrage
Civil rights groups were very upset at Musk’s racist comments. The head of the National Urban League called his statements “offensive and pathetic” and said Musk owes people an apology for his abhorrent claims.
Musk Implies HBCU Students Should Not Become Pilots
In his tweets, Musk appeared to say HBCU students should not be allowed to become pilots. But neither his comments nor the tweet he endorsed were factual. They used fabricated IQ numbers and wrongly connected high SAT scores with intelligence.
Musk Makes False Claims About Airline Safety
Musk also falsely claimed that a United Airlines program for HBCU students to become pilots means the airline prioritizes “diversity, equity and inclusion” over safety. Fellow billionaire Mark Cuban pointed out this is untrue – United has multiple evaluations pilots must pass. An irritated Musk just labeled Cuban “a liar” without any evidence.
Musk Connects Diversity Efforts to Plane Accidents
Musk seems to incorrectly think diversity efforts lead to mistakes, like a part falling off a Boeing plane during flight. This unsupported claim makes no logical sense.
Musk Has History of Racist Speech
His offensive remarks shouldn’t be surprising given his past conspiracy theories and prejudiced comments. Tesla has also been sued for racism at its factories.
Civil Rights Leader: Musk Promotes Hate Speech
The head of the NAACP said Musk provides “a home for hate speech and white supremacist conspiracy theories” which hurts people. Increasing diversity promotes a more inclusive, equitable society – not the same unequal society.
Musk Continues Angry Defense
Yet Musk persists in angrily defending himself, even calling civil rights groups “openly racist organizations.” His overt racism is becoming more common and leading to widespread criticism.
