North Carolina Takes a Stand: Why We Must Ban DEI and Support HB 171

By Nicky Smith
March 20, 2025

As the strongest candidate for Greensboro City Council District 4, I stand firmly in support of House Bill 171, a decisive step toward eliminating the divisive and ineffective Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda from our state and local governments. This bill, championed by the Veterans Party of North Carolina and Republican leaders in the General Assembly, restores fairness by prioritizing merit, qualifications, and excellence over political ideology and identity quotas.

For far too long, DEI programs have been used as tools for social engineering, replacing competence with compliance and achievement with activism. These taxpayer-funded initiatives do nothing to enhance governance; instead, they erode trust in our institutions, promote discrimination under the guise of inclusion, and waste valuable public resources that should be dedicated to real issues impacting North Carolinians.

HB 171 is a necessary reform that will:

✅ Eliminate DEI programs in state agencies and local government, ensuring hiring and promotions are based on skill and experience rather than arbitrary identity metrics.

✅ End taxpayer funding for DEI initiatives, stopping government waste on divisive and politically motivated programs.

✅ Prevent state and local agencies from applying for federal funds that require DEI compliance, ensuring that North Carolina remains free from ideological mandates that undermine meritocracy.

✅ Hold violators accountable through compliance audits conducted by the state auditor, with legal and financial consequences for those who continue to push DEI policies in government.

North Carolinians deserve a government that serves all people based on fairness, ability, and dedication—not one that prioritizes race, gender, or ideology over skill. This bill ensures that our state’s workforce remains a place of equal opportunity rather than forced equity—a distinction that matters.

The Fight Against DEI: Ensuring Fairness, Not Division

The North Carolina House Judiciary Committee has already approved HB 171, and now it’s up to our legislators to finalize this crucial reform. This measure does not ban diversity or stifle conversations on race or gender; it simply stops taxpayer funding for programs that institutionalize discrimination and demand ideological conformity in government operations.

Rep. Brenden Jones, the primary sponsor of the bill, made it clear:

“This bill isn’t about politics. It’s about ensuring that every individual is judged by their ability, not by their race, gender, or ideology. For too long, DEI programs have replaced qualifications with quotas, achievement with identity, and excellence with activism. That is not fairness. That is not the North Carolina way.”

Opponents claim that this bill will “chill” racial justice efforts—but the reality is that DEI policies have already chilled true meritocracy, pitting people against one another based on factors outside of their control. HB 171 restores a level playing field where everyone has an equal shot based on merit, not on politically mandated identity markers.

The Next Step: Defending North Carolina’s Future

The fight against DEI does not stop with HB 171. A separate anti-DEI bill is already advancing in the Senate, targeting DEI offices and divisive concepts within public schools. This is essential to ensure that our education system is focused on learning, not ideological indoctrination.

I stand with the people of North Carolina who demand fairness, accountability, and an end to wasteful and discriminatory DEI programs. As your representative for Greensboro City Council District 4, I will continue pushing for policies prioritizing competence over quotas, achievement over activism, and unity over division.

Join me in supporting HB 171 and restoring common sense in the North Carolina government.

Greensboro’s future is bright, and as always, I remain committed to ensuring that our city’s growth benefits everyone.

Let’s build the future our city deserves. Greensboro is ready for a new era—let’s get to work.