Ryan Polly is a vice president of DEI at MaineHealth, a hospital system of over 20,000 employees. He has said the hospitals cater to overwhelmingly White patients, which is reflected by local demographics.
Polly refers to himself as a "minister" of a group called One Spirit. According to a video reviewed by Fox News Digital, which has since been scrubbed, Polly is shown teaching attendees how to be practitioners of antiracism through a prayer that he dedicated to "loving spirits who are known by many names."
The DEI leader's ideology is steeped in critical race theory. He said during the prayer services that he himself maintains "racist narratives and biases," and attributed those to his skin color.
Only then can we become equipped to… challenge the systems that have been designed to give us the advantage and oppress everyone else," he said about becoming an antiracist practitioner.
"As the head of diversity, equity and inclusion at a major health system, I think frequently about my role as White person first and as a diversity leader second. I think about the responsibility I have to continue the deep internal work of… understanding my own racist narrative and biases," Polly said. "I think about the privilege my Whiteness affords me and the choices Whiteness allows me to have… My Whiteness keeps me and my family safe."
