Latest news with #BrandonGill
Los Angeles Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
What Congress needs to know about DEI (but doesn't want to hear)
The House Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services held a hearing recently about diversity, equity and inclusion. Fewer than five of the 90 minutes were spent talking about healthcare or anything related to money. Instead, conservative lawmakers wasted time and taxpayers' dollars advancing an anti-DEI agenda with which they have become obsessed. Anecdotes were more interesting to them than were evidence-based truths about the Americans whom discrimination most harms. Because the GOP comprises the majority in the House, all but one of the four expert witnesses in the hearing were theirs. Like the three other times I had testified on Capitol Hill, I was the lone Democrat. The Republicans' strategy was familiar: ask a series of yes/no questions that would require contextualization to answer adequately, then interrupt as the witness attempts to provide a nuanced response. One question for me from Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas): 'Should people be treated differently based on their race?' As I had done in my written testimony, I tried to explain to him that Black, Indigenous, Asian American and Latino American people have long been mistreated because of their race, which has led to persistent and pervasive racial inequities that disadvantage them relative to white people. But he apparently did not want to hear any of those facts, because he kept cutting me off, repeatedly declaring that this was a yes or no question. Gill posed another question to which he did not allow an informative answer: 'Do you believe that race should be considered in employer hiring practices?' For centuries, racism and white supremacy have been powerful determinants of who works where, what they are paid, and their opportunities for advancement to leadership in workplaces across industries. Race should not influence employment outcomes, but it too often has and still does. Because of both implicit and explicit biases, race influences hiring processes across industries. Research makes painstakingly clear, though, that it is white applicants who most often and most lucratively benefit from preferential treatment. People of color and job seekers with ethnic-sounding last names have long been and continue to be routinely discriminated against, a highly cited University of Chicago study shows. I do not believe that the remedy for discrimination is more discrimination. Instead, strategy and intentionality are both necessary and required to right past and present wrongs in hiring processes. Because the inequities are racialized and gendered, programs and practices ought to deliberately address the mindsets, structures and systems that have routinely locked irrefutably qualified people of color and women out of well-deserved opportunities. Perhaps had I been allowed to answer fully, Gill and I would have found common ground in our opposition to unlawful workplace discrimination. Corporations, universities and other organizations need high-quality professional learning experiences that help employees who are involved in hiring processes understand how and why white job applicants are typically presumed to be smarter and more qualified than applicants of color. Gill and other opponents of diversity programs need to learn about these particular manifestations of white supremacy too. They also could benefit from exposure to research that shows how workplace racial stratification systems cyclically route the majority of employees of color into the lowest-paid, lowest-authority jobs and lock them out of leadership positions. Federal statistics show that 77% of managers across all industries are white. Furthermore, 84% of executive-level leaders at Fortune 100 companies are white, according to a Heidrick & Struggles report. If our positions had been reversed and I were the one posing questions, I would have asked Gill about those statistics: Is it that most white people are just that much more talented and deserving than people of color, or could it be something else? In the midst of our chaotic crosstalk, I was able to make the point that I do not believe that white candidates are the only qualified people for jobs. 'I didn't say that, nobody said that,' Gill replied. 'And you're not going to intimidate me by slandering me as a racist.' I did not say or imply that he was. However, his mistaken presumption is revealing and unsurprising. It sometimes happens — especially among white people — when simplistic or otherwise problematic positions on race are challenged. I was able to make this clear: 'And you're not going to intimidate me by insisting that I called you a racist.' I reminded him that a hearing transcript confirming what I actually said would be made publicly available. Gill was in search of yes/no responses to his questions. Racism and racial inequities in employment, university admissions and other processes are far more complicated than that. But if he was indeed only interested in simple truths, there are at least two. First, professionals of color and women are systematically passed over for job opportunities and promotions because of their race and gender considerably more often than are their white male counterparts. Second, diversity policies and programs aim to redress such inequities accrued to employees because of their skin color, nationality, ethnicity, sex, gender, disability, weight, accent, sexual orientation and other traits. Shaun Harper is a professor of education, business and public policy at the University of Southern California and the author of 'Let's Talk About DEI: Productive Disagreements About America's Most Polarizing Topics.'
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Why the row over Zohran Mamdani eating with his hands is essentially about racism
Written by Shaarvi Magazine A Texas Congressman has told Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York, to 'go back to the Third World' after Mamdani posted a video of himself eating rice with his hands. In the face of criticism, Representative Brandon Gill, 31, has doubled down on his claim, posted on X, that 'civilised people in America do not eat like this', and his wife, who has Indian roots herself, has jumped to his defence. Civilized people in America don't eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World. — Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) June 30, 2025 'I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork. I was born in America. I'm a Christian MAGA patriot. My father's extended family lives in India and they are also Christian and they use forks too,' Danielle D'Souza Gill posted on X. D'Souza Gill, who is the daughter of the Conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza, ended the post with 'Thank you for your attention to this matter', the signoff line that President Donald Trump frequently uses in his posts. I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork. I was born in America. I'm a Christian MAGA patriot My father's extended family lives in India and they are also Christian and they use forks too. Thank you for your attention to this matter. — Danielle D'Souza Gill (@danielledsouzag) June 30, 2025 Critics have posted pictures of the senior D'Souza eating with his hands, and of the Congressman himself enjoying pizza using his hands. Why this outcry and debate over the way literally billions of people around the world have eaten for thousands of years? A large number of communities and cultures across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of South America, representing a large chunk of the global population, eat using their hands. Several items of food, including tacos, burgers, pizza, sandwiches, and hot dogs are eaten using hands around the world. While it comes naturally to most Indians who instinctively use their hands to eat, it is also variously argued that doing so leads to an increase in immunity – provided fundamental principles of hygiene are followed – promotes mindful eating practices, and is better for the environment. Art of Living, the popular yoga and wellness initiative, makes a connection between eating with one's hands and Ayurveda, in which the five fingertips are seen to represent the five elements of nature. In a comment published in 2012, mythologist and author Devdutt Pattanaik wrote: 'In Vedic texts, food is a goddess and fingers are the midget sages known as Valakhilyas. The sages carry the goddess to our mouths so that we sustain ourselves. In Jyotisha, the five fingers are associated with the five elements: earth (little finger), water (ring finger), air (middle finger), ether (index finger) and fire (thumb). Thus when we eat by hand, the five elements get symbolically connected with the food.' The reaction of most people is triggered by the shock of encountering an unfamiliar cultural practice, who then judge it as being 'gross'. Thus Oprah Winfrey is alleged to have asked some years ago whether Indians 'still' ate with their hands, the actor Shilpa Shetty was bullied and shamed on a British reality TV show for eating with her hands, and there was an online debate on 'manners' and 'hygiene' recently after a woman did the same on the London Tube. Like many such judgments, however, the roots of this culture of shaming often lie in a racist view of the world that is essentially intolerant and inward-looking. It has been pointed out by scholars and historians that the use of cutlery can be traced back to European imperialism, American colonisation and African slavery, as part of which the culture of eating by hand came to be associated with 'natives', labourers, and servants. This culture of shaming of non-Western traditional practices has been passed down to the present, and is often celebrated by modern culture warriors, even those who come from non-Western cultures. In the way this imposition of cultural hierarchy works, practices such as eating with one's hands becomes acceptable when White people do it, but 'barbaric', 'gross', or 'uncivilized' when non-Whites are involved. The escape route for this thinly disguised racism is often sought in distinguishing between types of food – thus, pizza is OK, but rice is not. My culture lesson for Mamdani: Eating with your hands is acceptable when it's bread, naan or pizza. Not when it's soup, meatloaf or mashed potatoes. Indians sometimes eat rice with their hands in India, but it's much more common in rural areas. In America, it's considered gross. — Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) July 1, 2025 In the end, the objection to eating with one's hands is not about etiquette; it is about power, prejudice, and the lingering shadow of colonialism. The writer is a student who is a summer intern at The Indian Express.
The Wire
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
No, Mamdani Isn't ‘Uncivilised' for Eating with his Hands
A recent social media clash between liberals and conservatives surrounding US Congressman Brandon Gill's insult aimed at New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has reignited an old, unresolved question: what does it mean to be 'civilised'? Gill, the youngest Republican representative from Texas, tweeted – with smug confidence – that Americans use forks and spoons because they are 'civilised'. This was in context to a video interview in which Mamdani was seen eating Biryani with his hand. The subtext was loud and clear: eating with one's hands, as many in Asia, Africa, and other 'non-Western' parts of the world do, is somehow primitive or uncultured. But such a view isn't just arrogant – it reeks of historical amnesia and the hangover of colonial thinking. Eating habits aren't a measure of progress; they are shaped by weather, geography, tradition and spiritual philosophy. Treating them as a civilisation test is not only silly – it is a form of cultural bullying. Civilisation is what people make of it To understand how we got here, it is worth pausing to reconsider the word "civilised'. Who decides what counts as civilised, and who gets left out? The sociologist Norbert Elias tried to answer this back in the 1930s. He argued that ideas of "civilised" behaviour are not eternal truths – they change over time, depending on who's in power and what's considered respectable. In medieval Europe, people of all classes, even nobles, used their hands or a knife to eat. Forks came much later, introduced from the East – through trade routes, contact with Islamic cultures and Byzantine influence. At first, they were treated with suspicion. Some even thought them ungodly. Forks didn't become common until the 17th or 18th centuries, and even then, it wasn't about hygiene – it was about class. The fork became a symbol not of advancement, but of status – something the elite could use to show they were different from the poor. If that's what 'civilised' means, then maybe we need to rethink the word. The culture behind eating with hand In large parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, eating with hands is not just normal – it's a meaningful act. In Indian traditions, food is seen as sacred, and eating with your hands brings the body and mind closer to it. In Ayurveda, it's believed to help digestion and engage the senses. In Islamic culture, the Prophet Muhammad encouraged eating with the right hand – a gesture of respect and cleanliness. In Ethiopia, meals like injera are shared by hand, symbolising love and community. Across Southeast Asia, in countries like Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, eating with one's hand is tied to custom and comfort. This isn't about being 'undeveloped' but about being connected – to food, to people, to culture. In fact, the industrial dining practices that we now associate with modernity – eating alone, in a hurry, with a metal tool – often feel cold and isolating, by comparison. Still stuck in the Orientalist gaze Brandon Gill's tweet is not a harmless opinion – it fits neatly into a pattern that Edward Said called Orientalism. Said showed how Western powers, especially during colonial times, painted the East as strange, backwards and inferior – not to understand it, but to dominate it. One of the easiest ways to do this was through food. Eating with your hands? That became shorthand for dirty or uncultured. The fork, by contrast, was held up as a badge of civilisation. It's a double standard that persists in the classroom, in pop culture, in airports, and apparently, even in the US Congress. A fork doesn't define civilisation Historian Dipesh Chakrabarty, in his critique of how we treat Europe as the centre of history, reminds us that no single region gets to define what progress looks like for the rest of the world. India had rich traditions around food, hygiene and community dining long before forks appeared in Europe. Ancient texts like the Mahabharata (fictional) describe detailed rituals around meals – handwashing, sitting on the floor, sharing food with guests – all of which were seen as civilised and sacred. In China, chopsticks developed alongside a cuisine that suited them. In the Americas, indigenous societies had their own unique food cultures that didn't need forks or knives. The idea that civilisation requires a fork is laughably narrow, and false. Table manners as tools of control During British rule in India, colonial officers often ridiculed hand-eating. It wasn't just about different habits – it was about asserting power. Indians were told their way was wrong, dirty, uncivilised. Victorian table manners were taught in schools. Cutlery wasn't about convenience; it was about obedience. Anthropologist Franz Boas once said that no culture can be judged by another's standards. What matters is the context. The British weren't sharing etiquette tips – they were using manners as weapons to make Indian subjects feel ashamed of themselves. That's not civilisation – that's domination. Science catches up Today, scientific studies show that eating with your hands can help digestion and encourage mindful eating. Your fingers can sense temperature and texture, making you more aware of what you're consuming. Many nutritionists now suggest that sensory eating helps people feel full sooner and make better food choices. Ironically, the fork – often treated as the ultimate tool of refinement – may make us eat faster and less consciously. So much for being 'civilised'. Food, race and respect In his book The Ethnic Restaurateur, Krishnendu Ray talks about how immigrant food is often loved but the people behind it are not. When Donald Trump cooked and served French fries at McDonald's with his bare hands – to appease to the working class – he was praised. But when Zohran Mamdani, with his brown, working-class hands, touches rice, he is judged, humiliated and called uncivilised. Clearly, there's a double standard at play here. It's not about forks or fingers — it's about power, race, and respect. The same biryani, eaten with a fork, becomes exotic and Instagrammable. Eaten with fingers, however, it becomes a joke. That says more about our prejudices than about the food. What is civilisation, after all? If civilisation means dignity, compassion, curiosity and openness to other ways of life, then eating with a fork or your fingers does not make one more or less civilised. And if using a fork were the gold standard, then Donald Trump, a man who eats KFC with silverware in a gold-plated room, would top the chart. But given his other track record: mocking a disabled reporter, inciting a violent mob, cutting off aid to Ukraine during wartime, demeaning women and minorities regularly – is that civilisation? As former UN under-secretary-general and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor recently pointed out – though he stopped short of actually calling the him uncivilised – that he does not consider the Trump the most uncivilised president he has ever encountered. 'I was going to say uncivilised, but I thought that might not be polite,' he said in an interview, adding, 'I had the great honour of meeting four or five American presidents … these are people of a certain class, a certain distinction. But there was a certain political heft, statesman‑like gravitas and intellectual quality that I find woefully lacking in this gentleman.' Trump even had the Resolute Desk 'temporarily' removed from the Oval Office, reportedly because a child wiped their nose on it. A few days later, he humiliated the Ukrainian president in public while delaying crucial aid. If this is what civilisation looks like, maybe we need to start asking different questions. Brandon Gill, who idolises Trump, should consider this: the real threat to civilisation isn't a man eating rice with his fingers. It's a world where cruelty is called strength and ignorance is passed off as pride. A truly civilised person is one who stands up for human dignity, the marginalised sections of society, and the underprivileged nations of the world – not the one who targets them with a capitalist, business-driven mindset. Civility has nothing to do with what's on your plate or how you eat – it's about how you use the power you hold. And real power demands restraint, empathy and respect – not angry outbursts in one of the most important rooms in the world. Abhijay A is policy analyst and independent researcher specialising in international relations, public policy and global diplomacy.
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Asia rallies behind Zohran Mamdani over MAGA criticism for eating rice with his hand
A Texan Congressman's criticism of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for eating rice with his bare hands has sparked a backlash, with people across Asia standing up for the common practice. The 33-year-old Democratic candidate is seen in a resurfaced interview tucking into a bowl of biryani with his hands while answering questions about his campaign. 'The holy grail of taboos in American politics, which include socialism, Islam and Palestine. You are really going for the trifecta. Tell me why is Palestine a part of your politics?" Mr Mamdani is asked in a 2023 interview with Uncivilised Media. 'When you grow up as someone especially in the third world you have a very different understanding of the Palestinian struggle,' he says in the resurfaced clip. But the seemingly simple, everyday habit of millions of people across rice-eating nations chafed GOP Congressman Brandon Gill who asked Mr Mamdani to 'go back to the Third World' if he wished to eat rice by hand. Mr Gill shared the clip on X on Monday with a comment that suggested that eating rice with anything but a spoon or a fork went against the grain of American civilisation. 'Civilised people in America don't eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World,' he wrote. Mr Gill was immediately called out by X users, some of whom referenced his Indian-origin wife Danielle D'Souza, the daughter of conservative political commentator Dinesh D'Souza. But Mr Gill's father-in-law joined in, posting an image of him eating out, saying: 'My culture lesson for Mamdani: Eating with your hands is acceptable when it's bread, naan or pizza. Not when it's soup, meatloaf or mashed potatoes. Indians sometimes eat rice with their hands in India, but it's much more common in rural areas. In America, it's considered gross.' Ms Gill also posted in her husband's support, saying, "I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork. I was born in America. I'm a Christian MAGA patriot. My father's extended family lives in India and they are also Christian and they use forks too. Thank you for your attention to this matter." MAGA activist Laura Loomer said: 'Disgusting. My dogs are cleaner and more civilised when they eat than little Muhammad.' Mr Mamdani, born in Uganda to Indian parents, if elected, would be the city's first Muslim and Indian American mayor. On Tuesday, the New York City Election board confirmed his victory in the Democratic primary, clearing the way for him to be the party's nominee for the November mayoral election. Several people suggested there was an inherent 'hypocrisy' in critiquing the rice-eating custom when Americans eat burgers, tacos, french fries and pizza the same way. 'Many countries in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia practice eating with hands as a traditional custom,' wrote one user. 'She ate dog food at a live show for some $ but she is calling Mamdani uncivilized for eating rice with his hands. The hypocrisy is almost impressive. Billions eat with their hands daily. To call it 'uncivilized' is pure racism,' one user posted in criticism of Ms Loomer's comment on Mr Mamdani. The user was referring to the right-wing political activist posting a video tasting a dog food product that she claimed came from 'an amazing company' – one that has pushed MAGA ideals and is a favourite on the conservative-favoured platform Rumble. The day after Mr Mamdani's victory, president while the Republican party's congressional campaign arm promised to tie him to every vulnerable Democrat in next year's midterm elections. Mr Mamdani has said that his objective was "to win people back to the Democratic party".
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chillicothe to handle all commercial building reviews and permits
The City of Chillicothe will take over commercial building applications starting July 7. According to an announcement from Chief Building Official Brandon Gill, the City's Building Department will manage all new commercial building services, which include enforcing codes, reviewing plans, inspecting sites, and issuing occupancy permits. Previously, the Ross County Building Department conducted these inspections for a fee. The transition follows City resolution 08-25, passed by the Chillicothe City Council on May 28, which authorized an application to the Ohio Board of Building Standards to create a non-residential building department. This application has been approved. All commercial projects currently under review or inspection by the Ross County Building Department will continue until completion. For further inquiries, contact the Building Department at 740-773-8980 or via email at buildingdept@ This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: City of Chillicothe to manage commercial building permits, not county
