Delta Airlines Faces Backlash After Alleged ‘White’ Racism Claims
Prapti Upadhayay, Hindustan Times, January 13, 2024
Delta Airlines finds itself in hot water after an alleged note from their DEI department went viral on social media. The note supposedly addresses racial sensitivity but has sparked accusations of bias.
Accusations on social media:
Social media erupted with claims that Delta’s DEI department instructed employees to capitalize “Black” and “Brown” but use lowercase for “white.” Critics voiced their concerns, branding the airline as racist.
Why would Delta Airlines send this to all employees? pic.twitter.com/QLKtVzlD1E
— 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_in_Flint) January 12, 2024
Twitter outrage:
Twitter users expressed shock and frustration, with one tweet exclaiming, “WTF is wrong at Delta Airlines?” The alleged directive sparked heated debates about the airline’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Inclusive language guide criticism:
The controversy deepened as users shared details from Delta’s “inclusive language guide.” The guide reportedly supports capitalizing racial identifiers for Black and Brown individuals but using lowercase for “white.”
Some users fact-checked the accusations, arguing that “white” is a descriptor, not a race. A tweet explained, “Delta Airlines is trending because conservatives don’t understand grammar,” emphasizing the distinction between race and description.
In 2020, the Associated Press explained its decision to not capitalize ‘white.’ The AP’s vice president for standards, John Daniszewski, clarified that capitalizing “white” could inadvertently lend legitimacy to certain beliefs, cautioning against such language use.
The controversy underscores the nuanced discussions around language and race. While some criticize Delta, others engage in grammar debates, highlighting the complexities of addressing racial issues within language guidelines.
As of now, Delta Airlines has not responded to the allegations, leaving the situation unresolved. The authenticity of the alleged note remains unverified, but the incident raises questions about the airline’s stance on racial sensitivity.
