Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), is calling for a major shift in how Black America and its allies frame the ongoing pursuit of equality.
In a new push led by the Black Press, Chavis announced that “Merit, Advancement, and Opportunity” – or M.A.O. – will replace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as the movement’s guiding language.
“The Black Press is proudly moving forward with new wording and nomenclature that more accurately describes our goals and adjectives with respect to corporate America and governmental agencies,” Chavis said. “Merit, Advancement, and Opportunity are taking the place of DE&I as a matter of self-determination by Black America. We cannot permit people who do not have our interest to define our reality.”
Chavis said the DEI framework, once embraced as a path to equity, has been manipulated and weaponized by far-right forces to “undermine the progress of communities of color in America.”
In both public statements and a recent op-ed, Chavis outlined the logic behind replacing DEI with MAO.
“Words matter,” he wrote, recalling the backlash to affirmative action and critical race theory—terms that, like DEI, have been twisted into targets by conservative politicians and media. “In America today, it is time to move forward.”
Rooted in history and collective family wisdom, the term MAO emerged from an intergenerational discussion within the Chavis family in Oxford, North Carolina—home to the family for over 200 years.
Recalling the evolution of the freedom movement, Chavis asserted that Black Americans have always “worked hard to attain excellence and respect,” and that merit has been an integral part of their identity.
“MAO is a transcended and elevated way of describing the current goal of our struggle for freedom, justice, and equality,” Chavis explained. “The Black Press has always had a history and legacy of redefinition and re-articulation of the interest of Black America and of the interest of all those who cry out for freedom and justice.”
The components of MAO are straightforward. Merit, Chavis said, is about recognizing and rewarding ability and achievement. Advancement ties progress to measurable contributions, and opportunity ensures that everyone has access to the resources necessary to succeed—without bias tied to race, gender, or identity.
“MAO promotes a fair, objective, and efficient system where individuals succeed based on their merits,” he wrote in the op-ed. “MAO is aspirational without limitations to take advantage of opportunities to advance individual careers and greater societal good for all.”
As some corporate executives backpedal on DEI, Chavis said none have proposed viable alternatives that both honor merit and ensure access. MAO, he argued, bridges that gap and offers a new framework for decision-makers in Congress, statehouses, and boardrooms.
“We look forward to continuing the national dialogue and refinement of the conceptual framework of Merit, Advancement, and Opportunity,” Chavis said. “It is an urgent time to move our democracy forward and to reclaim the oneness of humanity.”