DEI has become a politicized partisan term that feeds into hate and misinformation based in racial resentment. It has been used as a weapon to instill fear upon those who do not understand the nuances that it brings. It’s the perilous threat that takes jobs away from the qualified and puts them in the hands of the unqualified. The qualified have always been white men, and the unqualified everyone else. Yet, it is much more than that, DEI benefits everyone.
What is DEI? I’ll spell it out for you: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, diversity is the condition of having or being composed of different elements. Equity is fairness or justice in the way people are treated, based on freedom for disparities. Inclusion is the act of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded. In all, this is a program created to further those who have been excluded from opportunities due to the diversity they bring into a heteronormative, white, male standard. These programs create an even playing field in opportunity, allowing for equity for all to be emboldened.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives exist to protect qualified candidates in their jobs and hiring processes. It opens up opportunities to those who are qualified and face barriers due their social location, where ascribed and achieved statuses play a role in access to opportunity.
These initiatives open doors, as well as protections for hirees and employees. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs target the following: race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, socioeconomic status, immigration status, national origin, body size, educational background, military/veteran status, language, family structure, and workplace roles. Anyone that identifies within any of these categories are positively impacted by contact with DEI initiatives.
This is more than a black and white issue. Initiatives that support a multitude of identities bring different perspectives, and values to the table. They create spaces in the workplace that allow everyone to be supported and contribute to their fullest potential. Rather than think through a resentment-filled perspective that DEI takes away from those who traditionally fall into opportunities, we must shift our perspective to one that values what everyone brings to the table. There is a patriarchal force that moves through the workforce, it upholds the United States of America’s capitalist economy, built on the basis of white supremacy. DEI creates safe safes and works against those forces, bringing in diversity of race, experiences, and gender.
Taking this into account, everyone is positively impacted by Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, as they open more doors to those who have historically been shut out. We must bring this perspective of equity into all areas of advocacy, as well as understand the value of diversity in experiences and opinions. It is only through including all, that we can create change in a society that faces so many perils. Creating a seat at the table for every perspective moves a step further in the right direction.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a tool of reform to address the white, male dominated power structure. It creates room of inclusion and opportunity for everyone. They are values that we should be aiming for in our everyday lives, making sure people are heard and appreciated for what they bring to the table.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are for all.
