Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed an opponent of critical race theory to be the commonwealth’s new head of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, earning high praise from conservative activists.
The governor’s appointment of Angela Sailor of the conservative Heritage Foundation to lead the office signals a shift in the use of the Cabinet-level office under Republican governance. The governor also moved to rename the department, created in 2019, to the Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion.
The appointment earned Youngkin praise from the president of Sailor’s previous employer, Kevin Roberts, who said in a statement to the Washington Examiner that Sailor’s appointment was encouraging because it was not possible to “defeat the radical left’s divisive agenda unless we fight back.”
“I’m encouraged by Gov. Youngkin’s decision to rename the agency to highlight opportunity and his choice of Angela Sailor to take the lead on these important responsibilities,” Roberts said. “Having worked alongside Angela, I know she’s up to the task and ready for battle.”
Sailor served as the vice president of Heritage’s Feulner Institute, launched in 2019 with her at the head to “restore confidence in America’s founding values and principles” and “reinvigorate civic culture and our national purpose.”
The Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, opposes the teaching of critical race theory in public schools. The framework states U.S. institutions and culture are systemically racist and oppressive to racial minorities. Banning the theory from public schools was a key part of Youngkin’s winning campaign platform.
Christopher Rufo, a prominent critical race theory opponent and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, noted Sailor’s appointment in a Wednesday tweet, adding he believed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office should be entirely abolished and replaced with an office of “merit,” “excellence,” and “opportunity.”
“This is ultimately a war of values and most Americans prefer a system of individual rights and achievement — not neo-Marxist ‘equity,’” Rufo tweeted.
In addition to appointing Sailor to head the commonwealth’s diversity office, Youngkin redefined the head of the office’s role to include being an “ambassador for unborn children” and addressing “disparities in pre-natal care,” which Roberts also praised.
“Among her responsibilities, Angela will be serving in the critical roles of ambassador for unborn children and advocate for parents in education,” Roberts said. “Her office will be charged with promoting economic opportunity, free speech, and civil discourse. These are great objectives for Virginia and I’m proud to support Angela’s efforts.”
