Since President Trump’s January 20th, 2025 Executive Order charging the federal government to “coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs including illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities” (Executive Order No. 14151, 2025), the resistance to DEI efforts has reached a new level leaving many of us confused as to where to go with our existing DEI efforts. This political shift has ushered in a new chapter of DEI work.
While DEI work has been around since the mid-twentieth century, for the last 10-15 years DEI work has developed exponentially as a stand-alone field, with the proliferation of Chief Diversity Officer roles, DEI consulting firms, and management consulting firms, like Deloitte, incorporating in DEI work into their service portfolio. Organizations of all types have taken the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion more seriously, the result has been an increase in the risk and pushback against DEI efforts. The constitutionality and legal limits of these dismantling efforts are still to be understood and addressed in the courts. Currently, the question on every organizational leader’s mind is, “Where do we go from here?” Based on years of experience as an educator and a DEI practitioner, currently guiding organizations through their DEI work, here is my advice:
- Build a sense of community. DEI has always been about building bridges and bringing people together, not sowing divisions. Recent data from a Tangible Development and the Siena College Research Institute Poll showed a gap when it comes to beliefs around DEI. The data showed that Americans support the underlying values that represent diversity, equity, and inclusion, but when presented with the acronym “DEI” people express more skepticism. Consider these three findings: respondents overwhelmingly agreed with having diverse workplaces, equitable sharing of power in community meetings, and including people of all backgrounds when discussing the state of our nation. Without using the terms “diversity, equity, or inclusion” respondents across the political spectrum and other demographic groups strongly support these principles. For much of the 21-statement series, eight in ten Americans support principles indicators of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Work tirelessly to demonstrate that DEI work is about unity for everyone. Workplaces and schools are some of the few places where people interact daily with others outside of their immediate family or friend circle. This creates an opportunity for these spaces to unite communities amidst a social moment that is very divisive.
- Become familiar with Targeted Universalism. Much of the DEI efforts over the last decade have been single-identity focused (ie. LGBTQ issues, issues of race and racism). This approach has been needed and led to a tremendous amount of consciousness-raising. Consciousness-raising is the first step to outcome-based DEI work, however, it’s often where many people stop their DEI work. Consciousness-raising about identities is the gateway to helping people identify and understand larger systems of inequity that connect us all. Targeted Universalism turns our attention to universal outcomes that benefit all groups. This will also help avoid the troubling fixation on pitting some groups against others. For example, if you want to support Transgender people, focus on elevating the voices of Trans people, while also examining gender issues that impact all employees. Gender stereotypes limit everyone’s ability to understand who they are without constraints, but more acutely gender stereotypes hurt Trans people. Finding connections across the issue will help both Trans and cis people who don’t fit neatly into a box. Allies are made in commonalities.
- Integrate DEI values and goals into your organization’s mission. Organizational change methodologies can help navigate the changing DEI headwinds. These methodologies frame and focus change in a way that takes into consideration the cultural and operational shifts within an organization. DEI work is all about helping people navigate change–changing communities, changing needs of employees, changing programs, etc. Integrating DEI into the fabric of the organization’s change efforts will help people contextualize DEI as part of the mission of the organization, rather than the advocacy efforts of a few.