I felt the need to write about this topic after seeing a particular clip of a podcaster claiming that we no longer need DEI policies because everything “is now fair and equal.”Also, “DEI discriminates against White, heterosexual men.”
We’ll discuss the current state of DEI in America, then fact-check some common myths about diversity, and after some charts and graphs proving we are not “fair” now and no longer need help “leveling the playing field” or moving closer to equity. Finally, Ill end with a video of the podcaster who inspired this post today.
Republicans Attack DEI
Republicans have been attacking DEI programs and policies more than ever in recent years. President Donald Trump has not only removed all DEI offices in government, but fired any worker who held a position with the acronym or the term “diversity” in the job title.
The Trump Administration also banned preferred pronouns from government email signatures. That’s petty and done purely for show. He wants to be viewed as someone who is fighting “wokeness” in all of its forms (even though he is unable to define the term). Women named Charlie or Tyler now have to go back to people referring to them as “sir” in email correspondence.
Pro tip: include your profile photo in your email signature if you’re in a situation where a tyrannical boss (or President ) has made including the words “she/her” in your email signature illegal.
Telling people how they can or cannot sign their email messages is ridiculous (though to be fair, the rule only applies to emails sent from government email accounts, so while its still bad, banning the practice for all email accounts would be much more dicktater-like.
As I’ll discuss later in this post, Conservatives are fighting against the natural maturation and progression of a healthy, civilized society. Using preferred pronouns is a courtesy to ensure that everyone feels welcome, respected, and included.
It’s out of respect that we’ve stopped assuming someone’s gender and instead use pronouns that align with their gender identity. “Woke” also means “change,” “growth,”and “progress” in the way conservatives use it.
If you pay close attention to what Republican politicians say, you’ll notice two troubling trends. The phrase “DEI hire” is being used in place of racial slurs. On its face it’s racist.
They’re saying that a person of color, a woman, someone who is disabled, or a member of the LGBTQ+ community couldn’t possibly have gotten the position because they’re qualified. It must be because of some DEI policy.
The second trend is the way they use the word “woke.” Similar to the way they use “DEI,” the word is replacing something. This word replaces anything referring to inclusivity and empathy for others. Things they label as being “woke” are simply the natural progression of a civilized society.
Over time, members of a healthy society will make small changes or enact laws/policies meant to create an environment where every person in that society feels welcome and included (inclusivity).
Americans in the past never wanted the freed slave population to integrate with White society. No, they wanted the Black population to assimilate into our already established White Supremacist culture, including systems with racism already baked in (systemic racism, the premise of the legal theory of Critical Race Theory).
Integration would mean the two cultures combined and adopted different aspects of both cultures. Assimilation is a process, often used in reference to immigration, where a group or individual throws out their culture/views/beliefs, and adopts those of the culture they are joining.
Regarding immigration, I’ve always said one of the best things about our country is the ability to visit pockets of different cultures without the need to travel. Chinatown is a perfect example, but you’ll find communities of people who immigrated here from the same country continuing their culture in an area of their own.
The small city closest tome has a Puerto Rican community with churches, stores, and restaurants. Beautiful, colorful murals on the sides of buildings and the bright yellow paint on the brick exterior of the corner store are amazing.
There are also Cuban, Mexican, Chinese, and Jamaican areas in the city as well. I likely never would have known they existed if I hadn’t spent so much time walking around the city during my addiction (5 yrs sober).
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is yet another concept they co-opted and gave different meaning to. Strange how it was an existential threat to our children prior to the election and just disappeared after President Trump won, isn’t it? 🙄
It is, and always has been, a legal theory taught in law school, not elementary schools. Its a way of examining our criminal justice system and other institutions in the US with the lens that systemic racism is baked into our society even before the Civil Rights movement.
Republicans simplified it and “dumbed it down” to turn it into a catch-all term for “teaching about race or slavery,” and constantly condemned it because it was “making White children feel guilty.
I’d like to interject here to say that I learned about the history of slavery in this country and the Civil Rights Movement and not once did I feel guilty for something people did way before my time.
I felt “bad” for the people that were hurt by racists of the past, but that’s called “empanthy” and “compassion.” Feeling compassion is not the same as feeling “guilty.”
The only people that would even think about guilt associated with learning the history of our country are people who are still racist or prejudiced today. That would explain why they feel guilt just from hearing about the pain and suffering people just like themselves caused good people of the past.
That is simply my opinion/perception, so don’t interpret the previous statement as a fact—that anyone who is talking about “White kids feeling guilty” are all racists.
DEI Myths Busted With #Facts
MYTH: Diversity efforts benefit only specific groups.
FACT: Diversity benefits everyone, fostering innovation and creativity.
MYTH: Inclusion is just about numbers.
FACT: Inclusion goes beyond numbers, focusing on creating a sense of belonging for all.
MYTH: Equity means equal treatment.
FACT: Equity acknowledges individual needs to ensure fair outcomes for everyone.
MYTH: DEI initiatives are unnecessary in modern workplaces.
FACT: DEI initiatives are crucial for fostering a positive and inclusive work environment.
MYTH: Addressing diversity leads to divisiveness.
FACT: Embracing diversity cultivates a culture of respect and understanding.
MYTH: Equality and equity are interchangeable terms.
FACT: Equality focuses on sameness, while equity emphasizes fairness and justice.
MYTH: Inclusion is solely HR’s responsibility.
FACT: Inclusion is a collective responsibility that benefits the entire organization.
Diversity Statistics in Infographics
Media
Gov-Politics
