Sacramento Experts Weigh In On The Future Of DEI

By Williamena Kwapo | OBSERVER Staff Writer Sonya Bradley, Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Visit Sacramento. Russell Stiger, OBSERVER The field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) took off& during the summer of 2020 following the tragic killing of George Floyd. This prompted organizations to commit to fostering more inclusive environments, leading to the rise of DEI officers across various sectors, including for-profit, non-profit, and private companies. However, recent trends show some companies scaling back their DEI efforts, influenced either by political pressures or internal decisions. “DEI is here to stay,” Jacques Whitfield, an expert in human resources management and DEI strategies. “It’s only going away for the people who were using it to simply check a box when 2020 happened.” Whitfield has over 25 years of experience in human resources management, DEI, employment relations and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) compliance in the public sector and nonprofit sector with CPS HR Consulting. He has since retired from that position and currently works as Principal consultant at Sterling Consulting Group, Ltd. Whitfield consulted on DEI practices for organizations like California High Speed Rail and The Impact Foundry.& The roots of DEI in the workplace can be traced back to...