DEI vs. Homogeneity, Inequity, & Prejudice

Last Updated on: 9th February 2025, 12:59 pm

There is huge backlash to DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) that is now having its day in the sun. Hate for DEI is a big part of the MAGA movement, and it is now being smashed to pieces by Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Some Wall Streeters are happy, some corporate boards, and CEOs who don’t understand it or don’t like it are happy … for now. Many people without a background in social sciences may think it’s common sense and a good thing to wipe out DEI initiatives.

Something that is not understood by many is just how much systemic, historical prejudice still influences Americans across the country. It was 160 years ago that slavery became illegal (December 6, 1865). If you are 80 years old, it was just two of your lifetimes. If you are 40, it was just 4. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed ensuring Black people the equal right to vote in the United States.

If it took that long to go just that far, do you think there isn’t inherent quiet racism making decisions for people’s lives every day in the United States that disadvantage Black people?

In fact, the social sciences have uncovered all kinds of inherent racism in our society. Black people are given less opportunity even with the same qualifications, are paid less even with the same (or better) accomplishments, their opinions are routinely discounted and they are generally treated worse, and the list goes on and on. And that’s before getting to the matter of generational wealth. If your ancestors were slaves 160 years ago, they didn’t have any wealth to pass on. If your grandparents were heavily discriminated against and paid much less, they probably didn’t have much wealth to pass on.

Then there are other groups commonly paid less, passed up for good schools and good jobs, and even harmed and bullied by others. That includes women, Latin Americans, and … well, you know. We all know. White macho men are by default considered better in our society. And even if we do our best individually to not be prejudiced, we do not live in a utopia — prejudice abounds and it influences people’s lives every day.

So, to try to do something about that, DEI policies were put in place. DEI policies are not perfect. There is no perfect solution for prejudice. However, they are an attempt to correct for common prejudices. Sometimes that leads to overcorrecting, sometimes it’s under-correcting (I’d argue that it’s much more commonly under-correcting). For some, any overcorrections mean that DEI policies and programs are horrible and should be trashed. That’s Elon Musk’s and Donald Trump’s opinion, and one of their priorities.

Of course, the flip side of diversity, equity, and inclusion is actually homogenous corruption and prejudice. It’s homogeneity, inequity (which comes through inherent corruption), and exclusion via prejudice. Though, it’s much more popular to say you are against DEI than it is to be explicit about what you are for. Claiming that the absence of DEI would be a completely merit-based economy is missing the point, is missing the reality of our society. Axing DEI, more companies will select a white man over someone else because “it just feels right,” or, “he just seems like the right person for the job.”

Aside from just not being right in general, this is not good for our country economically and it’s not good for companies ditching DEI. Research has consistently shown that companies with strong DEI programs perform better. Correlation is not causation, so conclusions can be limited, but this is also an obvious truth: if you limit your choices based on inherent prejudice, you’re much less likely to get the best candidate. If you allow widespread and homogenous corruption and prejudice — even quietly — you’re going to get worse results.

Update: I just saw that Delta Airlines has announced it is holding strong on its DEI policies. “We are steadfast in our commitments because we think that they are actually critical to our business,” said Peter Carter, Delta’s chief external affairs officer. “Carter further emphasized that DEI is about talent — a key focus of the airline — and is integral to its long-term sustainability. ‘The key differentiator at Delta is our people,’ Carter said.”