Johns Hopkins Medicine's Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Health Equity (DEI) has found themselves in hot water after issuing a controversial "privilege" list in a company newsletter. The list, which was quickly retracted after a massive backlash.

Within the January 2024 issue of the Monthly Diversity Digest, written by Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Sherita H. Golden, the newsletter featured "privilege" as the "Diversity Word of the Month" and included a series of descriptions deemed as "privileged."

According to the newsletter, privilege is defined as an "unearned benefit given to people who are in a specific social group."

It goes on to claim that privilege operates on various levels, providing advantages to members of dominant groups at the expense of others. The list explicitly identifies social identity groups such as the following as being privileged:

• White people

• able-bodied people

• heterosexuals

• cisgender people

• males

• Christians

• middle or owning class people

• middle-aged people, and

• English-speaking people

Furthermore, the newsletter asserts that privilege is often invisible to those who possess it, and individuals in dominant groups mistakenly believe they have earned their privileges. It suggests that privileges are unearned and granted regardless of intent or desire.

After facing significant backlash, Dr. Golden issued a statement retracting the newsletter and expressing regret over the language used. She claimed that the definition of privilege was overly simplistic and poorly worded, leading to unintended exclusion and hurt within the community. Dr. Golden vowed to ensure that future messages align with the organization's values.

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Johns Hopkins Medicine confirmed the accuracy of both the original message and the retraction, acknowledging that the language used contradicted the institution's values. A spokesperson for the organization stated that Dr. Golden sincerely acknowledged the mistake and retracted the language.

This incident comes on the heels of another revelation that employees at Johns Hopkins Medicine were provided with a pronoun usage guide that included unconventional pronouns, further emphasizing the institution's embrace of a radical inclusivity agenda.