DEI programs saw a flurry of attacks this year, with more to come in 2025 – NBC New York

One by one, diversity, equity and inclusion programs at some of the nation’s largest companies collapsed in 2024, with signs that efforts to reverse DEI initiatives will only intensify in 2025.

This year saw an increase in prominent figures like Elon Musk and Lululemon founder Chip Wilsonamong others, who have vocally pushed back against DEI initiatives. Major companies, incl Walmart, Lowe’s, I see and Toyotaheeded the calls and dialed back its DEI programs, particularly after social media campaigns by influencers such as Robby Starbuck.

Meanwhile, Utah, Alabama, and Iowa joined Florida and Texas in banning DEI offices at their public universities, and three other states—Idaho, Kansas, and Indiana—banned colleges from requiring diversity statements in hiring and admissions.

It all came after countless companies pledged broad support for diversity efforts after The police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020 initiated a national social justice movement.

But with President-elect Donald Trump and his administration promising to eliminating federally funded diversity programsDEI’s future is precarious.

Nika White, whose the company specialized in DEIsaid the field had a challenging year.

“The rhetoric around banning DEI programs in corporate and academic settings, especially in the context of the broader political climate, often ignores the reality that such programs are designed not to ‘lower standards’ but to raise them, ensuring that everyone — regardless of background — has an equal chance to contribute and succeed,” she said.

Opponents of DEI see these initiatives in a drastically different way. Musk said on his social media platform, X, “DEI is just another word for racism.” As Senator, Vice President-elect JD Vance co-introduced Dismantle the DEI Act in June, saying that DEI “is a destructive ideology that breeds hatred and racial division.” trump card signed an executive order ban on federal DEI programs near the end of his first term in 2020, which Joe Biden revoked shortly after taking office. Trump’s transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

In the heat of this summer’s presidential election, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has been named a “DEI is hiring” in one of the most extreme political strikes. A baseless politician blamed the Baltimore bridge collapse on DEI in March, and others supported DEImakes air travel unsafe.

“These attacks are often rooted anti-black racism,” White said. “Billionaire business owners who lobby to curtail DEI initiatives often do so under the guise of ‘colorblindness’ or ‘meritocracy,’ arguing that DEI programs prioritize identity over skills. They undermine the progress made in recent decades, creating a chilling effect that could further polarize our society, limiting the ability of organizations to have open and honest conversations about race, equity, and inclusion—conversations that are essential to moving us forward. as a nation.”

She added that demonizing DEI “fails to recognize the systemic barriers many marginalized groups face in accessing opportunities and thriving in environments where they are not valued or represented.”

Not quite a death knell

If 2025 is going to be the year DEI dies, as some hope, it looks like a herculean effort will be required. Trump has threatened to revoke federal funding and accreditation of non-compliant universities and colleges, which would faces legal challenges.

On the business side, many companies have continued diversity and inclusion initiatives, albeit quietly. CEOs like JPMorgan Chase Bank Jamie Dimon a self-styled “full-throated, red-blooded, patriotic, ‘unwoke’ capitalist CEO” whose commitment to DEI has not wavered. Mark Cuban, “Shark Tank” host and former owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, said he has a diverse workforce it is “good for business”.

Fatimah Gilliamwho runs DEI consulting firm The Azara Group and is the author of “Race Rules: What Your Black Friends Won’t Tell You,” wants to hear more voices like those in the new year to avoid threats. She said the capitulation of companies and universities and the silence of business leaders were “disheartening” or what she called “gutless profiles”.

Gilliam added that while the longer negative rhetoric about DEI remains unchallenged, “people are kind of justifying this new normal; they don’t just agree with it, they then start defending it.”

A survey by College Rovera website that allows users to manage the complexities of college enrollment, stated that 54% of student respondents support DEI and support mandatory DEI courses, and that 70% describe the overall impact of DEI on college campuses as positive.

“You can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” said Bill Townsend, CEO and founder of College Rover. “Is DEI flawed? Yes, but it still works. But there’s a lot of good that’s thrown in with the bad, and the students see that.”

“Work” for Townsend includes socializing and exposure to diverse opinions and experiences that come with a diverse student body. In fact, he said, 55 percent of Republican students surveyed said they viewed DEI positively.

“And the big positive about DEI is that it exposes people to ethnic groups and viewpoints about ethnicities that are different from how they were raised at home,” he said. “We have to work and live among people who are different from us. DEI helps us manage this dynamic. Getting rid of DEI reinforces that you don’t have to get along with everyone. It shouldn’t be like this.”

Additionally, according to the Boston Consulting Group, research of over 27,000 employees in 16 countries shows that DEI programs increase profits and inspire employee engagement. White said, “Many leaders are redoubling their commitments to DEI, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because they understand that inclusion drives innovation, employee satisfaction and organizational performance.”

In 2024, DEI detractor Robby Starbuck led a push for companies, including behemoth Walmart, to scrap their DEI programs through fiery social media posts.

Starbuck, which did not respond to a request for comment on its 2025 plans, did said “I have a list of targets” will push to drop DEI.

White and Gilliam, the DEI experts, acknowledged Starbuck’s influence. As a result, some companies that want to keep DEI but fear backlash have rebranded diversity, equity and inclusion as “inclusion and belonging” and other phrases.

“YET, the letters and what they mean are a problem for people,” Townsend said, adding that “diversity and inclusion” could be less confrontational.

DEI supporters said they don’t care what it’s called. They just want to be protected.

“I’m pessimistic about DEI’s future because I see things as they are,” Gilliam said. “But I think there is hope, but hope has to come from people on an individual basis. People need to stand up and make a decision that affects what actually happens. “You’re not going to stand up and support me, I’m not going to support you by spending my money with your company. And I will tell everyone else not to do as well. We need to put a stake in the ground and take a stand as aggressive as theirs. It’s so important.”

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