Social media was set ablaze after racist users attacked Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott after his press conference following the devastating crash that collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge. 

@iamyesyouareno hopped on Twitter to state his opinion on Scott’s remarks following the accident, calling him a “DEI mayor.” “This is Baltimore’s DEI mayor commenting on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge,” he wrote. “It’s going to get so, so much worse. Prepare accordingly.”

This is Baltimore’s DEI mayor commenting on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.

It’s going to get so, so much worse. Prepare accordingly. pic.twitter.com/slw0lCooin

— iamyesyouareno (@iamyesyouareno) March 26, 2024

The comments started to pour in defending Scott, referring to the comment as racist. “Too scared to say you h8 Black people, the infrastructure was built before he became mayor,” @sacred_cave wrote.

Another user said, “DEI, the new N-word. I guess.”

DEI the new N word I guess

— Candidly Tiff (@tify330) March 26, 2024

That started an interesting – some deemed comical – conversation, prompting the heavily discussed term “DEI” to begin trending. To make light of using the term in place of the N-word with DEI, Black people put their creative spin on things. “Shoutout to all my real DEIs,” @_CharlesPreston tweeted. 

Shoutout to all my real DEIs.

— Charles Preston (@_CharlesPreston) March 27, 2024

Some even replaced the term in popular songs like R&B group Xscape’s “Just Kickin’ It.” “This is for my DEIs. Strictly for DEIs” or “ALL MY REAL LIVE DEI’s THROW YO’ HANDS UP!”

This is for my DEIs. Strictly for DEIs. pic.twitter.com/o4cB7KI0SE

— Jamie Pratt (@JamieEPratt) March 27, 2024

“ALL MY REAL LIVE DEI’s THROW YO’ HANDS UP!”

— Sierra (@whatupsisi) March 27, 2024

Scott caught wind of the rhetoric and joined MSNBC’s Joy Reid to respond. He told the anchor that Black men, particularly young Black men, have been under attack forever, saying they are the “boogie man” to racist people. “I know, and we all know, and you know very well, that Black men and young Black men, in particular. have been the Boogie Man for those who are racist and think that only straight, wealthy white men should have a say in anything,” Scott proclaimed. 

“What they mean by DEI, in my opinion, is duly elected incumbent. We know what they wanna say, but they don’t have the courage to say the N-word.” 

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott responds to being called the city’s “DEI mayor”

“What they mean by DEI, in my opinion, is duly elected incumbent.”pic.twitter.com/wnrxjNicW1

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 28, 2024

Fellow young legislators like Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fl.) jumped to his defense, defining the term “DEI hire = disgusting racial slur.” 

While people continue to make fun of DEI, a number of initiatives are under attack in real life. Since July 2023, close to 22 states have introduced legislation banning or restricting DEI efforts at universities. Black leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton and the NAACP have been working behind the scenes to fight this attack on the culture. 

NAACP President Derrick Johnson recently called for Black athletes to boycott Division I programs after the University of Florida eliminated their DEI offices. Sharpton is still battling hedge fund manager Bill Ackman by picketing outside his NYC offices every Thursday after the billionaire began pushing his opposition to DEI initiatives.