Nobody Is Against DEI

That’s a shocking claim given today’s socio-political divisions. Still, I think that it’s (almost) universally true. Roughly 30 years ago, an “aha moment” arose in which white Americans began to realize that the nation’s demographics were changing apace. Some were in denial. Some were angry. Most were curious about what such change might mean socio-economically and politically. As a result, DEI efforts have been relatively common in corporate America since the mid-late 1990s. Before we go further, let’s dive into what DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) means. Diversity, in this context, is a state in which people from “different backgrounds” exist in a common environment (e.g., the workplace). The idea is that workplaces should reflect the demographics of the general population, or at least resemble the organization’s customer base. Equity is more fraught because its achievement necessitates empirical evidence of progress; for equity to be meaningful, we must be able to demonstrate that one’s sex, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity don’t prevent them from being hired or promoted – or get them fired. Of course, measurable progress has always been the bane of existence for those who fight against racial equality. Inclusion is, in some ways, the most difficult...