MLB’s discriminatory diversity fellowship program must end

A few years ago, I was unaware that race and gender-exclusive programs such as “diversity fellowships” even existed until I happened to see a bulletin board posting at a local college advertising the Major League Baseball (MLB) Diversity Fellowship. The requirements specified the following:

• Eligibility
  • Open to people of color and female candidates.

In other words, white males need not apply. (You can read here about other such discriminatory programs.)

When I first learned about this blatantly discriminatory program, I alerted several conservative-leaning civil rights organizations about the situation. The ones who replied assured me that they would have their legal team review it and take appropriate action. The pandemic and subsequent lockdown hit a short time later, and this issue was placed on the back burner by these organizations.

Fast forward to 2023, and there is a renewed interest in a legal pushback against racially exclusive “diversity fellowships” and similar programs in the wake of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the use of racial preferences in college admissions policies. Conservative activist attorney Stephen Miller has been particularly aggressive in pursuing legal action against these fellowships and racial set-asides both in the public and private sectors.

Image: Sign by tirachard (edited).

I submit that this is a positive development if America wants to move toward a truly non-discriminatory society in furtherance of equal opportunity for all (including those classified by the EEOC as “White” males). However, the problem of Major League Baseball’s exclusionary “diversity fellowship” remains. The program has yet to be challenged, and that needs to change. Hopefully, Mr. Miller’s organization, America First Legal Foundation, will see fit to pursue this issue with MLB. MLB is a highly visible entity in society, and it would serve as a caution to other organizations contemplating similar programs.

Two wrongs don’t make a right, regardless of good intentions. Excluding the dreaded “white male” from participating in work and other activities is not an effective strategy for bringing people together. It only serves to create more resentment and animosity in those being excluded. The sooner these types of programs are successfully challenged in court, the better. The MLB “Diversity Fellowship” program gives us the opportunity to highlight a high-profile organization engaged in this discriminatory practice.

Vivek Ramaswamy has made a point of campaigning to end public and private Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs at the federal level if he’s elected. If he and other conservative presidential candidates would make an issue of the MLB Diversity Fellowship Program, it would be made plain to the average voter exactly what is taking place in the name of “equity.”

The MLB program has managed to fly under the radar, while other initiatives of this type have been ended through conservative media exposure and legal action. We must continue the pressure if we are to have equal application of civil rights laws for all. It’s critical to bring Americans of all races together instead of dividing them under a racial preference spoils system. Diversity fellowships clearly run counter to this goal.

Michael A. Bertolone, M.S. is a freelance writer in Rochester, N.Y. His eBook The War on Equality: How Equity is Destroying Our Society is available on Amazon.