An American Home Depot associate said the company is promoting critical race theory under the guise of staff training..Eugene Comisky is an associate at the Home Depot in Hendersonville, North Carolina. As a condition of his employment, he underwent “unconscious bias” training, and was recently provided with a “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Playbook” by his employer..Comisky told the Western Standard he was having none of it. “I made it clear to HR and corporate headquarters that I would not be quiet about progressive infiltration into the workplace.”.Some of the race-based themes in the playbook mirror the “Leading Practices: Unpacking Privilege” policy posted in a Calgary Home Depot staff room and reported on here..Home Depot has since said the Calgary-based worksheet was unauthorized. “This was a resource in our Canadian division and not part of any required programming,” the company said in a recent statement..The American version includes “activities and materials” with reading recommendations (all black authors). “A book list obviously slanted to push the woke agenda. The works of Thomas Sowell of course were not included,” said Comisky..Sowell was a conservative and libertarian-leaning economist..“They don’t talk about the fact that Booker Washington, Frederick Douglass, that the first black men elected to Congress after the Civil War, were all Republicans. They don’t look at that.”.“Children are not learning in school the truth of Democrat complicity in slavery, the leaders of the Confederacy were all Democrats. People are completely ignorant of the actual history behind many of these things.”.The playbook describes the difference between equality and equity: “Equality is when the coach gives all of his players the exact same shoes. Equity is when the coach gives all of his players shoes that are their size.”.“This is moronic. You have a country that has provided a standard of living where you have shoes of immense variety and numbers. The idea that capitalism somehow makes everyone wear the same size shoe. I mean, I can’t imagine that there are many people who don’t have the cognitive ability to understand the stupidity of that argument. It’s like freshman class virtue signaling,” said Comisky..In response to the unconscious bias training, Comisky told Home Depot management. “I don’t have any unconscious bias. All my biases are strictly known. I’m biased in favor of freedom and against communism.”.He said the themes driving the training are dangerous..“Unconscious bias is insidious. It is a way of controlling behavior and controlling the conversation. And, of course, they assured me that no, this has nothing to do with critical race theory. But I know better. That’s what’s happening, the infiltration of all these HR departments.”.Comisky called it “Marxist propaganda.” He published a letter about his experience here..The Western Standard asked Comisky why violent Black Lives Matter protesters got the pass, when peaceful Canadian truckers had their bank accounts and trucks seized. He said wealthy donors are bent on destroying society..“How does somebody like George Soros with all his money seem to be intent on destroying Western civilization? He’s financed George Gascon, who’s the district attorney in Los Angeles, and others who seem to be intent on destroying the rule of law.”.“People like George Soros are destroying systems because they’re gonna rebuild a system that keeps them at the top that ensures their place above everyone else.”.Comisky is the treasurer of the Polk County, North Carolina Republican Party. He said Canadians and Americans, particularly parents, need to push back by getting involved with local politics..“Get involved at the local level. Get involved with the school boards and government. We have a commission that controls this county and five members are now Republican because we got involved and took over with people who are hardworking, who are dedicated to the principles that we believe in.”.He said a lot of parents got involved once they realized what their children were learning..“One of the ironies of the whole pandemic is that parents were able to see all the online learning over their child’s shoulder. They’re teaching you what!?”.Neither the Canadian nor US corporate Home Depot offices responded to the Western Standard’s request to discuss staff training..Amber Gosselin is a Western Standard reporter..agosselin@westernstandardonline.com
