Kentucky State Senator Gerald Neal (D) confronted his Frankfort colleagues this week over their attempt to ban DEI in public universities. As the state’s longest-serving senator, Senator Gerald Neal’s opinion means something in Kentucky. In 1989, Neal was also the first African-American man elected to the Kentucky State Senate. Under Donald Trump, Kentucky like other states has seen increasing attacks on Civil Rights under the guise of combating DEI. With Trump now reinstating segregation for federal contractors, it’s no wonder Senator Neal is speaking up.
Frankfort Sees Sen. Neal in Showdown Over DEI Ban
The video shows Senator Neal slapping a stack of papers down onto a desk and repeatedly asking a colleague, “What do you want?” The senator’s actions come in response to Kentucky’s attempt to ban DEI. That attempt in turn comes at a time when Kentucky hospitals are cutting staff pay and Trump tariffs are punishing everyday people. The economic situation for many Americans continues to spiral while conservatives maintain a laser focus on blaming immigrants and others. Liberals, meanwhile, have done little as the government strips rights away.
A TikTok by politicalwiz about the confrontation garnered over 32k likes and numerous supportive comments. Many praised Senator Neal for speaking out against his MAGA colleagues. “THIS IS WHY WE NEED BLACK LEADERS,” said one commenter. Others were focused on the reasons that more officials aren’t speaking up. As one commenter put it,
Some of these elected officials are following behind trump because they’re afraid of losing their precious seats plus they are afraid of MAGA. . Period.
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. It’s an attempt to reduce the harm of white supremacy, the patriarchy, and other discriminatory systems. It’s also not the same thing as Affirmative Action, which many confuse it for. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed House Bill 4, but bill watchers expect the legislature to override the governor’s veto.
Though others have joined Gerald Neal in denouncing the DEI ban, that won’t stop Kentucky Republicans from inflicting it upon the state. Banning DEI from public universities when the nation is already being segregated at the federal level is unconscionable. Unfortunately, it’ll require more than slamming some papers on a desk to stop it.
