“We will all profit from a more diverse, inclusive society, understanding, accommodating, even celebrating our differences, while pulling together for the common good.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The year is 2025. Some people would say we have made great strides towards a future for everyone. Some would say we are moving in the wrong direction. With the universal spread of social media, some would say that more people are held accountable for their words and actions. Some would say this has given the wrong people a massive platform and broadcasted the overwhelming reality of our world.
Potentially, one of the greatest steps back our society is taking is our understanding and acceptance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Moreover, it seems many have forgotten why these efforts were taken in the first place.
Since 2022, certain U.S. lawmakers and politicians have implicitly declared war on DEI. This started at the federal level, and the route map includes all DEI programs made available to citizens of the U.S. These programs and resources are now recognized as “immoral” by the new administration.
So, what does this mean for most Americans? DEI federal budgets were the first to take a hit. This caused many workers to be placed on leave and many organizations to fall into mass confusion. Many companies implemented DEI programs over the past few decades to foster a better environment for everyone in the workplace. Now, these same efforts are seen as dangerous.
At the state level, many lawmakers have passed orders to eliminate DEI initiatives in their respective states. In West Virginia, for example, the Governor has ordered a thorough review of all DEI offices and positions in the state. This means that anyone with DEI in their title will be under review and likely to lose their position or job. Potentially, the most extensive damage has taken place at the university level. Many universities have stopped accepting DEI declarations during the admissions process. These statements allow potential students to explain and embrace what makes them different. It also gives kids an opportunity to further explain how their upbringing may have affected their academic and extracurricular performance. If the admissions process hasn’t been affected yet, the curriculum in the classrooms is strictly under surveillance. Any DEI education, clubs, or organizations on college campuses, especially in red states, have either been eliminated or at least highly scrutinized.
DEI, at its core, means respect. Without recognizing and respecting our differences first, we cannot celebrate what makes us similar.
Each human being you come across has a past, a present, and a future. Beyond this, they have a rich history, baggage, and deep morals moving them forward, or maybe holding them back. No two humans are the same, though we all have much more in common than we do differently.
Because of our differences, however, we simply do not all have access to the same resources. These are resources that land us jobs, internships, scholarships, and, ultimately, sometimes respect. DEI efforts directly impact minorities’ chances in school and the workplace. Not only do they provide opportunities and programs for minorities to thrive, but they also aim to establish a basis of respect. A company’s DEI statement likely addresses and accepts the differences between coworkers of different races, genders, ethnicities, ages, or socioeconomic status. Once these differences are embraced, a beautiful thing happens: we are enriched. We are better, more productive, kinder, more educated, and prosperous.
Diversity in its entirety means including and involving a variety. Equity means being fair. Inclusion brings us right back to the idea of embracing the variety that is this world. Does that sound like too much to ask for?