3 Reasons Not to Give Air to the DEI Backlash

1. We knew the backlash was coming, and it has nothing to do with the relevance and value of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (and Belonging) work or all of the ways that we will continue to do this work. If we look at history, there’s always a kickback when there’s advancement of Black people. The corporate backlash against DEI (remember, after sweeping commitments made in 2020) is just what the backlash looks and feels like this time around. To be clear, effective, transformative DEI will change, but it will not end.

Take a moment with me and reflect right now on all of the strides we’ve made... Imagine the ripples of impact (the heart-centered “ROI”!) that we're seeing now and have yet to see.

2. Language changes, the work continues on. As long as you are doing work on people and culture, DEI work is here to stay and evolve. You may not have a DEIB/JEDI/IDEA office per se, but this work is still necessary, important, and inescapable. In my experience doing this work for over 20 years, we’ve also seen language shifts before. First, it was "cultural competence", then "cultural humility." Now, we’re seeing the trend of IDEA/DEIB work housed under People, Culture, and Values work in many organizations. As long as the work doesn’t dissolve and we prioritize people and humanity first, I am not so interested in what we call it.

We want to create workplace cultures where people can thrive. We want to create safety and pathways for success. As I’ve coached senior leaders for years, this is just how we practice adaptive leadership, and this is exactly the kind of leadership we need now.

3. DEI improves the bottom line. As we have witnessed with advancements over the last five years, this is no longer a question. And for this reason alone, some leaders will make the case for continuing DEI work. Unquestionably, this success is rooted in the practice of valuing people and diverse perspectives and talent. We know that this improves the quality of the work every time.

Of course, meaningful DEI work shifts other metrics beyond ROI, too, though. The face of leadership changes, and most importantly, metrics of success begin to include shifts in mindsets, policies, and practices. To me, this is one of the main reasons we are seeing a backlash. (We know it’s not because of the impact on the bottom line! This is tangible, quantifiable, qualifiable.) People of varying backgrounds may simply be uncomfortable losing the status quo. While organizations may state values of diversity, equity, and representation, the question remains: Were these organizations and workplace cultures actually prepared to steward these shifts effectively? 

So as this debate continues, I’ll hold these things to be true and keep doing my best work. We will not be, nor have we been, muted or made irrelevant. A new generation of DEI leadership has taken root. I encourage all of us to keep doing good work and challenge any narrative that dehumanizes human beings and diminishes their value. And, I will say it again and again as an important reminder: we must take care in our approach of working with and alongside Black women like myself who have been doing the heavy lifting of DEI work, paid or unpaid, seen or unseen… and who so often are the first to suffer when the pressure lets up and organizations de-prioritize DEI, even after making grand commitments to racial justice.

Let's be real in this election year... what is most necessary is to stay in the game, ride the wave, and stay true to our values and commitments! DEI work is not complete, it’s simply shifting. If we don’t know where DEI will end up, that’s ok! It’s actually necessary, and I would also add, a sign of authentic leadership. As a colleague and I were discussing, maybe the end result is that finally, DEI will simply be integrated into the core leadership work of organization building. It should never remain as is or be an add-on to a strategic plan or job responsibility, with one person or team holding all of the layered extra work. Equity work must be embedded in.

Colleagues in the field who have chosen to stick with DEI know that change is inevitable and the future is not prescribed. Good DEI work is always emerging, because this is a generative and transformative time. We will keep people and humanity at the center.