Elon Musk, renowned entrepreneur, recently drew criticism after backing a tweet that proposed that students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have lower intelligence quotients (IQs), consequently questioning their capability to become pilots. "The implementation of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) policy will result in fatal airplane crashes," he projected in his tweet while misrepresenting the acronym DEI.
Musk's comments attracted strong reactions from civil rights groups, who expressed their displeasure and concern. Marc Morial, the National Urban League President and CEO, sought an apology from Musk for his statements regarding workplace diversity, which he described as highly objectionable.
Musk's commentary, which seemed to restrict HBCU students from pursuing aviation careers, was met with intense scrutiny. Notably, his argument associating high SAT scores with high IQ levels failed to hold factual validity.
The SpaceX and Tesla CEO argued that a United Airlines initiative offering HBCU students the opportunity to interview for a pilot's position compromised safety for DEI hires. His assertions were debunked as unfounded, shedding light on his skewed perspective.
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban challenged Musk's theory and pointed out that several standards of merit-based evaluations were in place before students could fly for United. Musk retaliated by accusing Cuban of lying without providing substantive evidence.
Musk implicated DEI initiatives in unrelated incidents such as the emergency landing of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet following the fall of a door plug. This baseless claim invited further skepticism about his views.
Musk's latest remarks were in line with his previously endorsed controversial theories. His companies, including Tesla, have reportedly faced allegations of racism in the past, as claimed by a lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Musk was widely criticized for lashing out against complaints and not taking necessary measures to curb workplace abuse according to Morial's statement to NBC.
Musk's controversial tweets have become a recurring theme on his social media platform X, escalating last month when he endorsed an unstable and prejudiced theory as factual, eliciting widespread disapproval.
His recent comments continue to add to his contentious social media history. Derrick Johnson, the NAACP President and CEO, reprimanded Musk for encouraging hate speech and rejected Musk's perspective on DEI initiatives and their impact on society.
Musk responded to NBC's reporting by accusing certain organizations of being racially biased, intensifying the controversy surrounding his stance.
