In the pursuit of social justice, equity has become a buzzword used to describe efforts to provide specific advantages to historically marginalized groups. While well-intentioned, placing equity above equanimity can create new forms of inequality by prioritizing certain groups at the expense of others. Equanimity refers to a state of mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in difficult situations.

Equity mixed with politics and emotion risks placing some people at the “front of the bus” while pushing others, who may have different cultural backgrounds or physical appearances with high qualifications, to the “back of the bus.” This approach of equity without ethics ignores the rich and diverse history of the United States, a nation that has been ethnically diverse for over 300 years.

The average American today represents a mix of various ethnicities and spiritual backgrounds, reflecting the vast immigration that has shaped the country over the last 400 years. An ethical, competitive system that allows all people from across the USA—whether from tribal lands, the countryside, or the heartland—to vie for opportunities on equal terms is the best way forward.

Equity: The New Segregation and Expanded Jim Crow

Equity, as it is often framed, seeks to remedy past and present inequalities by redistributing resources and opportunities based on group identity. This approach is aimed at righting historical wrongs, but in doing so, it can create new divisions. By placing certain groups at the front of the line, it inevitably pushes others to the back. In practice, equity policies can create a system where race, ethnicity, or cultural background become the primary criteria for advancement, rather than merit, skill, or effort.

This form of selective favoritism, by elevating governmental decision makers to the status of past social-engineering-gods of the USSR, echoes the injustices of confederate-democrat segregation—ironically, the very system these policies aim to dismantle. The historical analogy of forcing some to sit at the back of the bus while others sit at the front speaks to how equity, without equanimity or ethics, can create injury, breed resentment and exacerbate divisions.

The problem with emotionally driven equity initiatives is that they often view people through a narrow lens—based solely on skin color, race, gender, or identity group membership. Such policies fail to account for the rich, multi-faceted nature of our international society, where diversity exists across every community.

As an example of logic, green eyes are relatively rare, with only about 2% of the world's population having them, but does that mean that we should have equity based programs to protect this tiny minority as an endangered species? Instead of bringing people together, equity can inadvertently pit different groups against one another, fostering the same kind of hierarchical favoritism it claims to mitigate.

America’s Long History of Diversity

The United States has been a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures for over three centuries. While it is often thought of as a nation built by European settlers, the reality is far more complex.

For over 300 years, people from every corner of the globe have made America their home, contributing to its rich mosaic of cultures, languages, and spiritual traditions. Today, the average American is likely to have a mix of ethnicities in their background—perhaps African, Asian, European, Latin American, or Native American.

Spiritual backgrounds are equally diverse, with Americans practicing everything from Christianity, Jainism, Mormonism, Islam, Taoism, Paganism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and indigenous spiritualities. The U.S. has welcomed at least 1,500 of the over 5,000 different world-ethnicities through immigration over the last 400 years, shaping a nation where no one group can claim to be the true “face” of America.

Given this deep-rooted diversity, any attempt to divide Americans along racial or ethnic lines through equity-based policies misses the bigger picture. The nation’s strength lies in its pluralism, not in separating people into privileged and disadvantaged categories. Rather than imposing policies that promote division, we should recognize the shared history of overcoming adversity—be it for African Americans, Native Americans, Sicilians, Italians, or other immigrant groups—that unites all Americans.

The Historical End of Slavery and Human Trafficking for Sicilians and Italians

While much focus in discussions of American inequality centers on the African American experience, it is crucial to remember that many ethnic groups faced significant hardships throughout history. One often overlooked example is the experience of Sicilians and Italians in the late 19th century.

These groups, many of whom came to America seeking a better life, were subjected to harsh working conditions, human trafficking, and even slavery under the Padrone slavery system, which exploited Italian and Sicilian children for slave labor. This system that existed in places like New York City was finally abolished in 1874 by Congress with the Padrone Act, ending a period of slave labor for these ethnic people’s and immigrants. Essentially, slavery ended in 1874 in the United States with the passage of this law 9 years after the Civil War was over.

Yet, despite this history, today’s Italians and Sicilians compete on the equity enhanced playing field in the U.S., with many achieving success in diverse sectors without needing preferential treatment. This historical example demonstrates that overcoming inequality is possible without resorting to the emotionally driven policies of equity. Instead, a system that promotes equanimity, where individuals are judged by their skills and character rather than by their identity, allows everyone to thrive.

Play the Best to Make Your Team Great

Equity is a great principle, ensuring everyone gets a fair chance, but even in the pursuit of fairness, we must recognize exceptional talent. If you have LeBron James or Tom Brady on your team, you better let them play to the best of their ability because holding them back for the sake of equality would hurt not just them, but the entire team. Playing the best-qualified individuals isn't just fair to them—it's essential for the success of the team as a whole.

When the most talented and hardworking players are allowed to perform at their highest level, the entire team benefits. Equity should ensure opportunities, but merit and excellence should always lead the way to create the best outcomes for everyone involved. With the USA competing against 190+ other nations, this nation needs to allow the best to participate for the sake of the country’s welfare.

The ADA and Tapping Into the Creativity of All Citizens

This author is a big supporter of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and believes in its core principle of creating opportunities for everyone to participate fully in society. Using benign and mindful measures to ensure that individuals with disabilities can express their talents and abilities is not only fair but also beneficial for the nation as a whole. By removing barriers and making reasonable accommodations, we allow people with diverse abilities to contribute to the workforce, creativity, and the broader economy.

This inclusion fosters innovation, increases productivity, and enriches society. When we enable everyone, regardless of physical or mental challenges, to reach their full potential, we create a more just, impartial, and prosperous society for all.

Moving Forward: A Merit-Based, Meaningful Society

Despite the strides made in American history to end discrimination and human trafficking, inequities still persist in many forms. However, putting emotions aside and embracing equanimity offers a more sustainable path forward. Equanimity and poise calls for calm, impartial judgment that treats all people as individuals with unique talents and potential. It resists the urge to base policy on guilt or resentment, and instead focuses on giving everyone—regardless of their background—an equal chance to succeed.

This approach benefits not only minorities but also individuals from across the socioeconomic spectrum, including those from rural areas, suburbs, the heartland, or tribal lands, who may not fit the typical profile of a marginalized group but still face their own challenges.

Allowing all Americans, no matter their ethnicity or background, to compete fairly for jobs, educational opportunities, and positions of influence is essential for building a just and cohesive society. By fostering competition based on merit rather than identity, we ensure that the most talented individuals rise to the top. This approach benefits not only the individuals who earn these opportunities but also society as a whole, as it ensures that the best-qualified people are leading in every field.

Gender Inequality No More – 60% of College Students are Women

These dynamics are also reflected in the shifting demographics of colleges and universities, where women now make up 60% or more of the student population. The prioritization of equity and DEI initiatives, along with a focus on rectifying historical gender imbalances, has contributed to this shift. In many cases, these policies have created an environment where men, particularly those from certain ethnic backgrounds such as Asians and Europeans, face greater challenges in admissions due to the emphasis on identity-based equity.

While these efforts may have originally been intended to address gender disparities, they have inadvertently resulted in the underrepresentation of men on college campuses, showing how the manipulation of equity for political or social advantage can lead to significant demographic imbalances in higher education. I have personally heard that girls in colleges are complaining about the lack of men in college. Sadly, this entire generation may require more women to work in higher level jobs while men care for the home and family due to this obvious educational disparity that has been artificially created by the social engineering crowd.

As a note, there are 107 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the USA. Further, over 500 private, nonprofit four-year colleges have closed or gone bankrupt in the USA in the last decade, which is three times the number of closures in the previous decade. If colleges do not re-engage the admissions process with young men of all races and ethnicities, these colleges will continue to fail for their lack of authentic diversity and failing to mirror society in a reasonable way.

Careless Immigration Policies Devastate Equity Efforts

Allowing 15 million new immigrants from over 100 nations into the U.S. over the last 3 years poses challenges to DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and any efforts aimed at helping historically marginalized citizens from both rural and city groups. Further, after affirmative action was in force for over 50 years, there should have been a few generations of Americans to benefit from these benign measures including the use of quotas.

These initiatives were designed to address inequalities and provide support to individuals particularly those from Black, Hispanic or Latino, and other underrepresented communities. A large influx of immigrants from diverse backgrounds will dilute resources, making it harder for existing residents to access the intended benefits of equity programs. Moreover, the unfettered immigration of the last 4 years has caused massive inflation for minorities and women for rent, food, insurance, health care, child care, utilities, gas, and education.

Additionally, the social and economic competition for jobs, housing, education, and healthcare has intensified, which could inadvertently widen gaps and hinder progress toward addressing longstanding disparities. This situation risks shifting focus away from groups historically prioritized for equity initiatives and potentially complicating efforts to achieve DEI goals. According to rudimentary research analysis, there are 750 million people who would move to the USA today if given the chance.

The Real Racism Today

The soft bigotry of equity has, in many cases, led to a situation where a significant minority of liberal white elites push Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives as a means of self-preservation. This tactic allows white elites to maintain their positions at the top of the institutional power structure, especially within government agencies and universities. By vocalizing belief in equity, these individuals can signal virtue while at the same time restricting opportunities for highly qualified: Asians, Europeans, and Arabians.

This policy and platform ensures that these white elites continue to benefit from power, pensions, benefits, and privileges within these systems. In doing so, these social engineers manipulate DEI efforts not as tools of genuine inclusion but as mechanisms to maintain their own dominance and influence. In sum, a few white liberals who wish to keep power are killing scholarship or job opportunities for millions of young qualified people who’s only crime is looking like a person from: South Asia, Arabia, Russia, India, Africa, China, or Europe.

Conclusion

Equity, when driven by divisiveness, politics, or emotion rather than reason, leads to a form of selective favoritism that mirrors the very injustices it seeks to overcome. By placing some individuals at the front of the bus based on their identity while relegating others to the back, equity undermines the values of fairness and equality that America strives to uphold and creates the newest form of Jim Crow.

In contrast, equanimity offers a more balanced approach, recognizing that all Americans, regardless of their background, deserve a fair chance to succeed. The United States has been a diverse, multi-ethnic nation for over 300 years, shaped by the contributions of people from thousands of ethnicities and spiritual backgrounds.

As for race and ethnicity, we may need to move toward a scientific approach which allows any person to provide DNA results. In this way, a person who looks a certain way to the casual observer can show their diversity is greater than others.  Moving forward, the best way to address lingering inequities is to promote competition, geographical diversity, merit, and opportunity for all—allowing people from every corner of America, from cities, tribal lands and to the heartland, to participate fully in building a better future.

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Commissioner George Mentz JD MBA CILS CWM® is the first in the USA to rank as a Top 50 Influencer & Thought Leader in: Management, PM, HR, FinTech, Wealth Management, and B2B according to Onalytica.com and Thinkers360.com. George Mentz JD MBA CILS is a CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ®, global speaker - educator, tax-economist, international lawyer and CEO of the GAFM Global Academy of Finance & Management ®. The GAFM is a EU accredited graduate body that trains and certifies professionals in 150+ nations under standards of the: US Dept of Education, ACBSP, ISO 21001, ISO 991, ISO 29993, QAHE, ECLBS, and ISO 29990 standards. Mentz is also an award winning author and award winning graduate law professor of wealth management of one of the top 30 ranked law schools in the USA.