There are uprisings happening in the UK that should shake every American employer who signed those corporate statements in the summer of 2020 pledging allegiance to anti-racism.
The uprisings happening in the UK are in response to the death of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old white British university student who was stabbed five times in the streets of Southampton by Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh, last December. As Henry lay bleeding out on the pavement, gasping his final words—“I can’t breathe”—the police didn’t rush to save him. They handcuffed him. Why? Because his killer falsely accused him of racism.
The bodycam footage is haunting. And I urge caution if you choose to watch it. Henry repeatedly told officers that he had been stabbed. But they dismissed him, believing the attacker’s claim instead. Henry died in handcuffs, being read his rights by the police. But this wasn’t the work of rogue, evil police officers. Southampton’s police force had embraced an aggressive anti-racism agenda, with training that emphasized racial equity over color-blind response, evidence and common sense.
In 2020, many of you—many of us in corporate America—pledged allegiance to anti-racism. We issued statements, funded trainings, launched DEI initiatives, and touted the virtues of equity - or equal outcomes - over equality. We heard the narratives that painted broad groups as perpetual oppressors and others as perpetual victims. We were told this would heal division.
Instead, poor-quality DEI training has become all too common. It perpetuates division by assigning blame for historical oppression to entire groups of people today. It teaches us to view every interaction, every colleague, and every decision through a racial power lens—where merit takes a backseat to identity.
The general public sees the harms of DEI programs — they see the backlash, lawsuits, and mounting evidence that these programs often increase discrimination and bias rather than reduce them. And now they see the real-world effects of DEI training in the Southampton police force in the UK. Just yesterday I saw an article online in which the headline read “DEI killed Henry Nowak.” Organizations that continue to embrace this ideology face reputational risks that may soon become insurmountable amongst a public increasingly skeptical of “performative” equity and anti-racism.
As American employers, you must see the United Kingdom’s experience as a stark warning. What happened in Southampton didn’t emerge from nowhere—it flowed from the same well of ideas that flooded our workplaces after 2020. When institutions prioritize racial consciousness over truth, individual dignity, and practical judgment, tragic failures follow. And your organizations are not immune.
Employees have had enough. They’re tired of being told that “diversity is our strength” as a mandatory slogan while watching competence be sidelined. They’ve had enough of being labeled bigots or “right-wing” simply for rejecting the mandate that they must view themselves and others primarily through a lens of oppression.
Now it’s your turn, as leaders, to abandon the DEI frameworks that divide rather than unite. Get back to merit-based hiring, promotion, and decision-making. Re-focus on advancing the core mission of your organization: delivering results for customers, building sustainable success, and creating environments where talent and character—not skin color or inherited guilt—determine outcomes.
Henry Nowak was was a young man with a future, failed by a system that lost sight of basic humanity. Let his death remind us that when we elevate group identity above individual humanity, everyone loses.
At Merit First Solutions, we stand for transparent standards, individual accountability, and an unwavering commitment to merit. Our economy, our society, and our shared future depend on leaders like YOU choosing courage over conformity. Schedule a call with me here, and let’s talk about how to unwind your organization’s DEI programs.
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