A chief scientist at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously recommended that employees who engage in “diversity work” at universities receive promotions and salary bonuses, according to videos recently uncovered by conservative watchdog group American Accountability Foundation (AAF).
Dr. Namandjé Bumpus, who was named chief scientist in 2022, is slated to become principal deputy commissioner in early 2024 where she will help “implement key public health initiatives.” Bumpus made the benefit recommendations for university employees who conduct “diversity work” at an event with the University of British Columbia, called “Perspectives of Black Scientists, Science and Systemic Racism,” in March 2021, video uncovered by AAF shows.
“If diversity and inclusivity is really a core value … [universities] need to elevate the stature of the people doing the work. Provide endowed professorships … specifically for people that have achievements in doing diversity work,” Bumpus stated in the video. “Give salary bonuses like you would for any other leadership role for people who are doing diversity work. Give meaningful career and promotional credit for the work of diversity. Make that one of the metrics for promotion.”
Bumpus revealed that people received interviews “because [of] their diversity statements” in another clip of the same event while she was still at John’s Hopkins.
“We asked for … a diversity statement about your contributions to diversity. But we were actually very real about weighing that very heavily. So there were people that were interviewed because their diversity statements were really what put them over the top,” Bumpus asserted. “Our interview group was tremendously diverse and I think it was because we really heavily did weigh that diversity service work.”
The FDA highlighted Bumpus’ accomplishments and value to the agency without addressing her diversity remarks in comments to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“Dr. Namandjé Bumpus is a highly accomplished, nationally-renowned biomedical scientist, representing the best and brightest in public health and science,” an FDA spokesperson told the DCNF. “Dr. Bumpus is critical to fulfilling the mission of the agency and the FDA is incredibly fortunate to count her among the civil servants serving the American public in her leadership role.”
Diversity initiatives within federal agencies have been a major point of contention between Republicans and Democrats.
Biden’s National Cyber Director in the White House Office of the National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. testified as early as 2019 that the National Security Agency had certain staff diversity percentages it hoped to reach for the year.
“Dr. Namandjé Bumpus represents a mortal threat to the medical profession,” AAF President Thomas Jones told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Her prescriptions for medical schools are calls for a total revolution in the way our future doctors would be educated. Instead of rewarding hard work and excellence in medicine, Bumpus wants a system that rewards fealty to cultural Marxism and skin color.”
Jason Cohen on January 11, 2024
