On the official White House website, typing in “DEI” warrants a swirl of catchy, attention-grabbing headlines that announce all the ways President Donald Trump is seeking to remove Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. “President Donald J. Trump Ends DEI Madness and Restores Excellence and Safety within the Federal Aviation Administration” proclaims one article title, while another boasts that “President Donald J. Trump Removes DEI From the Foreign Service.”
Similarly, inputting the same three letters on any search engine will pull up sensationalized headlines, telling users companies that are stopping DEI measures, the latest paragon of American advancement that is being nixed from school curriculums, and op-eds about the endless potential ramifications of Trump’s crusade.
However, to understand how DEI became our 47th president’s biggest enemy, it is important to understand what DEI is.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have been around since the civil rights movement. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed employment discrimination based on race, religion, sex, color, and national origin. It also banned segregation in public places, like public schools and libraries. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, which works to eliminate employment discrimination. Thus, programs were put in place to foster the integration of marginalized communities into the workforce.
In 2023, the US Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action use at universities, reversing decades of precedent. This landmark decision allowed conservatives to begin dismantling DEI initiatives. Since then, DEI has become a scapegoat term for Republicans, especially President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, who blames DEI initiatives for America’s faults. Musk has even gone as far as to tweet that “DEI is just another word for racism.”
However, many scientific studies and research studies have been conducted on the outcomes and benefits of DEI. One, done in 2020 by McKinsey & Company, analysed 1,000 US firms. It found that companies with greater gender and ethnic diversity were more likely to outperform their peers. The difference was significant, with gender diversity leading to a 25% probability of higher profits, while ethnic diversity led to a 36% probability.
Even if we look at the federal government alone, we can still see the benefits of DEI programs. The federal government is the largest employer in the United States. The federal government also has the lowest gender and racial pay gaps of all US employers.
DEI is not our enemy; it is not racism, and it is certainly not worthy of the full-scale dismantling and witch hunt that the administration is currently attempting. DEI programs are meant to foster inclusivity and allow for systemically marginalized groups to be afforded the same opportunities they have so often been denied.
DEI does not give people “handouts;” rather, it recognizes that many different communities experience barriers to success and seeks to remove them so that everyone can thrive. DEI benefits everyone.
What Trump is attempting to do will not make a government “based solely on merit,” as he claims. It will remove years of progress, and allow for a country that again only uplifts those with entrenched privilege and refuses to even acknowledge minorities.