By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association

Words matter. With all of the diversionary and distractive attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (D.E.I.), it is time not to retreat from freedom’s demand for equal justice. In America today it is time to move forward. “Forward ever. Backward never,” was the historic refrain from the Honorable Marcus Garvey.

Recently members of my family gathered together in our hometown of Oxford, North Carolina for an intergenerational family discussion on the periodic dispute over appropriate phraseology that should more accurately focus on increasing opportunity and how to improve the quality of life of all.

The Chavis family has been in Granville County, N.C. for over 200 years. We have witnessed the evolution of the Freedom Movement in America and the price that has been paid to advance the interests of Black Americans and all others who have cried out and struggled for equality.

We recall the national debate over “affirmative action.” We remember the recent disputes over “critical race theory” by people who could not even define what the phrase means.

In 2025, the issues of merit vs. the matters of societal entitlements resonate with renewed vigor and social division across the nation. In the halls of the U.S. Congress and in state capitals voices and policies are being raised in opposition to Medicaid and Medicare that will affect millions of people.

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Many leading corporate executives have also put forth historical justifications to retreat from D.E.I., yet none have offered alternative language or wording that will make good business sense. To demand merit and at the same time to deny equal opportunity to education, employment and healthcare is a regressive formula for social failure.

The fact is we have always worked hard to attain excellence and respect. Being meritorious is in our D.N.A. Against all possible repressive odds, we continue to strive to overcome the legacies and ignorance of racism and hatred.

Our family discussion did not relent until we all mutually agreed on what we are recommending as today’s alternative language and wording for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We believe that Merit, Advancement, and Opportunity (M.A.O.) should be universally stated as an achievable goal for corporate America and for all who are decision-makers in the U.S. Congress, state governments, and in local municipalities.

Merit is about recognizing and rewarding based on abilities, skills, and accomplishments. By centering on merit, M.A.O. aims to reward hard work and talent, fostering a culture of excellence.

Advancement is key to M.A.O. to ensure that progress is based on performance and work-related contributions to success and mission fulfillment. Opportunity in M.A.O. is an outcome that provides equal access to resources, training, and to increased chances for success, regardless of background.

M.A.O. avoids identity-based preferences and minimizes considerations of race, gender, or other identity factors in decision-making processes.

In other words, M.A.O. promotes a fair, objective, and efficient system where individuals succeed based on their merits. M.A.O. is aspirational without limitations to take advantage of opportunities to advance individual careers and greater societal good for all.

We look forward to continuing the national dialogue and refinement of the conceptual framework of Merit, Advancement and Opportunity (M.A.O.). It is an urgent time to move our democracy forward and to reclaim the oneness of humanity.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the President and CEO of the Black Press of America, http://www.BlackPressUSA.com

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