Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Defining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are three closely linked values held by many organizations, institutions, entities, and education systems that are working to be supportive of different groups of individuals, including people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations.
We see DEI as:
- Diversity - embracing the differences everyone brings to the table, while acknowledging the benefit of the multiple perspectives, ideas, and solutions provided when individuals with different backgrounds, identities, and views collaborate and are heard.
- Equity - treating everyone fairly and providing opportunities for everyone to succeed, considering their traits, including resources, support, and potential accommodations to help those with disabilities thrive in the workplace.
- Inclusion - creating an environment where people of all backgrounds can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion became the band-aid solution for corporations and education institutions as a safe way to invest in equity. However, the NAACP will work to achieve a society in which DEI is protected while eradicating anti-Black racism within the economy, education, health, justice, and the environment.
Our Guiding Principles
The NAACP stands on four diversity, equity, and inclusion guiding principles that we expect corporations to enforce for the progress, protection, and rights of their workforce and social responsibility.
The Issue With Overturning DEI
Pushing back against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives displays a solid resistance to acknowledging and dismantling systems of white supremacy within our society.
Several of these political efforts have been rooted in narratives to both downplay and erase the existence of systemic racism and have been used as a fearmongering tactic from conservative outlets to scare and galvanize their base into thinking that Black people and people of color are trying to strip rights away from "White America."
Assessing the Policy Issue
Economy
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is under attack in the corporate space. Politicians and attention–seekers have hijacked the narrative around diversity, equity, and inclusion, blaming workplace initiatives for many problems – from job discrimination to poor hiring choices.
Education
DEI is not just a buzzword but a fundamental principle that guides our academic institutions. It influences our approach to recruiting students, hiring faculty and staff, shaping campus culture, encouraging career advancement, and setting up tenure processes. It also informs our examination of employment budgets and our making of forward-looking decisions.
Health
Health and healthcare inequities have disproportionately impacted the Black community, leading to lower life expectancy, poorer health outcomes, and reduced access to care. Health is a complex interplay of one's lived experiences, social conditions, economic environment, physical setting, and clinical engagements.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not trends or political warfare but the foundation of civil rights and a chance for progress and opportunity.
- Keisha Bross, Director, Opportunity, Race and Justice
Leveraging Our Dollars For Change
The Black Consumer Advisory informs and cautions Black consumers about the ongoing and intentional rollback of nationwide diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments.
We encourage you to spend your money where you're respected, support Black-owned businesses, and demand businesses prioritize people over profit. Above all, we must continue to advocate for policies that ensure people of color, women, veterans, those with a disability, and all protected groups have equal access to opportunities across the country.
Diversity and Employee Opportunity
According to Glassdoor, 67% of job seekers consider workplace diversity an important factor when considering employment opportunities, and more than 50% of current employees want their workplace to do more to increase diversity.
The New Executive order explained
The recent executive order dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives is more than a political statement – it is part of a calculated strategy to redefine the role of government, privatize essential public services, and enable discrimination behind closed doors.
President Donald Trump's Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing executive order seeks to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and mandates across the federal government, claiming that they promote discrimination and waste taxpayer resources.
Federal agencies are now ordered to cancel any DEI-related training, remove DEI-focused web pages, and execute a "reduction-in-force" against federal workers, affecting close to 2.4 million people.
What does this mean for DEI?
- The current administration is actively advocating for the closure of diversity offices, training programs, and accountability regarding diversity and inclusion practices in the workplace.
- Dismantling these programs will affect pay equity and hiring practices for those working in federal DEI spaces.
- Federal grants and benefits in federal spending may be halted for minorities and women.
What to Expect
Cancelled Trainings and Contracts
Agencies are required to cancel any DEI-related training and end any related contracts. Federal workers are asked to report to Trump's Office of Personnel Management if they suspect any DEI-related program has been renamed to obfuscate its purpose or face "adverse consequences."
Reduction in Force
Federal agencies are expected to develop a plan to execute a "reduction-in-force action" against those federal workers.
Merit-Based vs. Diversity Hiring
Within the next 120 days, Trump ordered the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and OPM, in partnership with the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to develop a new plan that prioritizes merit-based hiring rather than based on an applicant's "race, sex or religion."
Commit to Protect Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
As the new administration takes steps to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives across federal agencies, we need your voice and action to protect our progress. By signing our petition, you commit to:
- Staying informed: Keep abreast of any development related to DEI policies and their impact on various communities. Utilize reputable news sources to stay updated.
- Educating your community: Host discussions, workshops, or forums to inform others about the significance of DEI programs and the consequences of their removal.
- Promoting inclusive practices: In your personal and professional lives, continue advocating for inclusive practices that reflect the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion.