Good news is coming out from lots of places. The push back against wokeness is finally working. Here’s a quick roundup of some evidence.
K-12 Education
Campus Reform reports that school districts a dumping the woke curricula that college education programs have been pushing. The reason: horrible reading scores from the use of work curricula materials. They write:
“The nationwide low reading proficiency for K-12 students is attributed, in part, to these curricula. Though Campus Reform has identified teachers colleges as sites of social justice and anti-racism, a popular approach to reading sold by teachers colleges failed to close achievement gaps.”
Higher Education
It looks like we’ve started to see some light in the long dark tunnel that is American higher education. Florida is taking a string stand for academic freedom and freedom of expression on college campuses and cutting spending on divisive DEI programs So are some elite universities.
It’s also looking like college presidents themselves aren’t as enamored of the whole DEI thing as they make out.
Government Employment
Hiring on the basis of merit and capabilities is making a comeback in state government—well at least state governments in red states. Texas Governor Abbott issued a memorandum directing state agencies to hire the best candidate for the job. Radical stuff!
Big Business
Wokesters have been hit especially hard in the business world. Investment giant Vanguard is getting out of investing on the basis of politics. Their own investment research showed that claims of higher returns from ESG investments is a bunch of bunk. The Wall Street Journal summarizes what Vanguard CEO Tim Buckley told them in an interview:
“Fewer than 1 in 7 active equity managers outperform the broad market in any five-year period. Over the past five years, not one relied exclusively on a net-zero investment methodology. Betting his clients’ money on politicians and regulators consistently doing the “right” thing would be irresponsible. There is a receding chance the globe will be at net zero by 2050. No one should promise to base his entire investment strategy on such odds.”
Moreover, DEI layoffs have skyrocketed in the tech sector as companies see tougher economic times ahead.
Looking Ahead
Wokeness is still the prevailing ideology—some would say religion—in America’s elite institutions. There’s a long way to go to put this divisive, dehumanizing ideology to bed. That’s going to take a long term struggle by those of us who believe in individualism and in judging others on the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. But there are hopeful signs that we’re getting past peak woke.