Banking Risk and Regulation’s Post

🏦 Wall Street banks once proudly and publicly positioned themselves as champions of diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly after the global impact of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Yet momentum is faltering amid mounting legal challenges and a polarised political landscape. Can banks keep up their commitments? ⚖️ DEI leaders say the initial “gung-ho” enthusiasm for social justice programmes has given way to a measured “cooling-off” period marked by widespread “caution”. 📉 It comes as activists in Texas, Florida and Georgia have filed lawsuits claiming that DEI initiatives discriminate against white individuals, prompting some banks to reduce their efforts. 🛠️ Goldman Sachs, for example, recently expanded eligibility criteria for its Possibilities Summit — a career exploration programme originally tailored for Black college students — to include white applicants. 📊 Pew Research Center data shows that more than half of US employed adults (52 per cent) undertook DEI training or meetings at work in 2023, while the number of chief diversity and inclusion officer roles in the US grew by 169 per cent between 2019 and 2022, according to LinkedIn research. ⚠️ Financial institutions that wish to preserve their DEI initiatives now face heightened legal risks, however, especially in states such as Florida, where governor Ron DeSantis has championed measures to curtail diversity programmes. 🚫 His Stop WOKE Act sought to block DEI considerations in hiring and education, but much of the law was struck down by a federal judge last year for violating free speech protections. 💥 Undeterred, DeSantis remains committed to his agenda, which has received vocal support from new president Donald Trump. Last week, all federal employees working on DEI programmes were put on paid leave. 💡 Story by Eden Harris. Read more below. https://lnkd.in/deAgfJYc #DEI #Trump #Banking

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