Conflict Launched by Conservatives Against Diversity, Equal Opportunities, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Policies

Conflict Launched by Conservatives Against Diversity, Equal Opportunities, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Policies

Targeted Termination of DEIA Workers

Under a leaden sky on January 22nd, 2025, the sun dipped below the horizon, giving way to a chilly evening. The moment had arrived - the deadline set by President Donald Trump for federal agencies to place DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) workers on temporary leave, eventually resulting in their dismissal. This action followed numerous executive orders, issued on Trump's inaugural day, aimed at dismantling DEIA initiatives across the federal workforce.

DEIA employees were tasked with promoting diversity within the workforce, and DEIA programs served a similar purpose by encouraging more inclusive hiring practices. The full extent of those affected by these measures remains uncertain, but it's clear that the counts will run into the hundreds. Unemployment now gazes at these workers as an imminent threat, looming in this escalating economic climate.

The Trump Administration had also targeted employees who previously held positions related to DEIA programs. However, on April 1st, 2025, a judge blocked the termination of CIA employees who had been part of DEIA-connected investigations.

Trump's executive orders sent ripples throughout the political landscape, placing private businesses with government contracts under immense pressure to abandon their own DEIA programs. This cascaded throughout numerous sectors, with companies like Coca Cola, JPMorgan Chase, PepsiCo, PBS, Walmart, Meta, and Target phasing out their DEIA initiatives.

Sending letters to European companies, the Trump Administration demanded they abolish their DEIA programs at the end of March 2025. France's Minister of Diversity, Aurore Bergé, accused this move of attempting to impose an authoritarian decree on their businesses.

DEIA's Heritage and Significance

DEIA is deeply rooted in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Following the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, numerous federal laws tackled discrimination issues. Inspired by this foundation, both public and private sector organizations set out to promote minority inclusion in the workforce. The resurgence of DEIA in 2020 was touched off by the murder of George Floyd during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. DEIA programs were designed to create workspaces with diverse demographic representation and to foster an environment where every individual feels heard and represented. The modern DEIA program focuses on integrating not just racial and ethnic minorities, but women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and more.

I spoke to Porfirio Gonzowitz, a teacher at Bronx Science who educates students on race and gender, to gain his insights on the relationship between the advancements brought about by the Civil Rights Movement and today's DEIA investments. According to Gonzowitz, "The DEIA movement is a response to the perceived failures of the civil rights movement. I'm a big advocate of Carol Anderson, who argued that when we [advocates] entered the civil rights movement, we weren't looking for civil rights. We were looking for human rights, and settled for civil rights because we weren't going to get human rights."

"DEIA picked up the torch, saying, 'Look, we're done with just settling for civil rights. We want more. We want the ability to be treated like the people we truly are.' [DEIA] is continuing the struggle left behind; because they had their moment, they missed their moment. Now this was our moment to try to make it happen."

The Ideal Scapegoat

On January 29th, 2025, shortly after Trump's executive orders on DEIA were signed, a tragic helicopter collision occurred over Washington D.C. The incident claimed the lives of 67 individuals, shattering the lives of their families across the globe. In the aftermath, Trump suggested that the accident could have been averted due to lax hiring standards resulting from DEIA measures at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under President Biden. However, further investigation found no evidence linking DEIA with the crash. John Cox, a retired pilot turned aviation consultant, and Tennessee Garvey, a pilot and chairman of the board of directors for the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, concurred that DEIA standards would in no way have been loosened to meet hiring quotas. The administration's use of DEIA as a scapegoat in this instance highlights their ability to politicize an unfortunate tragedy.

It's worth noting that the right has long relied on targeting DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the predecessor of DEIA) when things go awry. So, what's the reasoning behind the right's animosity toward DEIA?

The Right's Misunderstanding of DEIA

President Donald Trump himself has claimed that his criticism of DEI is motivated by his desire to strengthen meritocracy. This argument, however, is based on a naive or deliberate misconception of what DEIA stands for. DEIA is meant to encourage the inclusion of minorities within workplaces, not to force the hiring of less qualified candidates. Rather, companies are motivated to broaden their search for talented individuals in underrepresented communities, like the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. DEIA employees remain highly qualified and deserving of their positions. To devalue their competence is not only unfair but dismissive of the due process involved in their hiring.

Additionally, the hypocrisy of this argument becomes evident when considering Trump's new cabinet, filled with loyalists. How can the administration rail against DEIA when it includes officials who espouse anti-vaccine beliefs and hold questionable qualifications for their positions, like the Secretary of Defense who boasts a more decorated career as a TV host than as a war veteran?

Some criticize DEIA initiatives for establishing "reverse racism" within the job market. However, research contradicts this notion. A 2020 study published in Social Forces found that white applicants were 53% more likely to receive a callback for an interview than minority populations and 145% more likely to secure a subsequent job offer. Further research from the Center for Economic and Policy Research revealed that unemployment rates in black demographics across five different college majors were at least twice those of the white counterparts with the same degrees. For women, progress may be slowing, but disparities persist. A 2019 study indicated that women were required to have a 4.0 GPA for roles that men secured with a 3.75 GPA. A report from Mckinsey and Company showed that, last year, for every 100 men promoted to manager positions in the corporate field, only 81 women were similarly promoted.

DEIA's relevance to the Jewish community

More legitimate criticisms of DEIA still exist. For example, DEIA programs on college campuses have been accused of either disregarding or discriminating against Jewish heritage. Following the October 7th attacks, anti-Semitism on college campuses increased significantly in conjunction with the rise in pro-Palestinian protests. In some cases, DEIA efforts and leaders have clashed with Jewish communities, rather than creating safe spaces for them. Some Jewish individuals argue that the reason for this neglect is due to DEIA advocates viewing white Jewish people as the oppressors of Palestinians, thereby laying the foundation for antisemitism. A study from the Heritage Foundation, a highly conservative think tank, found that 96% of the 741 university officials responsible for DEIA were critical of Israel or held anti-Semitic views. While it's crucial to differentiate between criticism of Israel and antisemitism, this evidence demonstrates a degree of bias against Jewish communities.

Mr. Gonzowitz explained this issue best in our conversation: "October 7th happened, and Israelis were deeply hurt by it. Palestinians continued to suffer from it...This led to backlash. Now you have Jewish people claiming, 'well, wait a second, everyone jumped on board to support y'all when the time came, but now that the time has come for us, y'all aren't supporting us, you're supporting Palestinians, but you aren't supporting Israelis. And that created this divide where there's this huge attack on DEIA; everybody says it's supposed to be inclusive, but it's not."

"So if it's not being inclusive, is it really DEIA?"

"The idea of Jewish people being ignored, among other things, has been co-opted by the right, specifically as a way of saying, 'look, DEIA is bad. It doesn't include everyone and this has exacerbated a huge gripe where everybody on their side is fighting and pushing back against DEIA,'" said Gonzowitz.

The Unavoidable Importance of Diversity and Inclusion

Gonzowitz offered these insights: "If we don't have representation, how can we affect change? It doesn't matter what profession we're discussing - I don't care if you're going to be a barista at Starbucks or the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court - a lack of representation in either of those roles plants the seeds for disparities that are pervasive. At the risk of repeating myself, someone who's not like me might misunderstand me, stereotype me, or misconstrue me. These are things I have to be concerned about when I interact with someone who's not like me, and it shouldn't be that way. Growth in representation removes the space or opportunity for those misconceptions or biases to exist."

"The DEIA movement is continuing the struggle and taking up the torch left behind. It didn't get the reset it needed; now because we missed that opportunity to refocus, reset, and include everyone, we've lost the chance to do that, because we now live in a society where the term DEIA has become so polarizing and where malice and hatred have been directed towards it. It's difficult for it to exist," said Gonzowitz.

Acknowledging DEIA's issues and addressing them is the first step towards resolution. Through DEIA, we have experienced positive impacts, such as increasing employment opportunities for marginalized groups and strengthening workspaces that encourage diverse perspectives.

Although Trump may wish it, he cannot wave a magic wand or sign a paper to erase inclusive policies from the United States. Even now, many of his dismissals in other areas are facing legal challenges in court. By continuing to recognize the importance of truly diverse and inclusive policies, we can ensure that DEIA maintains its influence in American society, so that workplaces reflect the ideals of equality we strive for.

As Mr. Gonzowitz aptly summed up: "The DEIA movement is continuing the struggle and taking up the torch left behind. It didn't get the reset it needed; now because we missed that opportunity to refocus, reset, and include everyone, we've lost the chance to do that, because we now live in a society where the term DEIA has become so polarizing and where malice and hatred have been directed towards it. It's difficult for it to exist."

1. The Targeted Termination of DEIA workers under President Donald Trump's administration made headlines in the news, causing concern within the education-and-self-development sphere as well as the general-news world.
2. As part of their culture and history, DEIA programs played a significant role in promoting diversity within the workforce, particularly in the wake of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
3. The political landscape was profoundly affected by Trump's executive orders, with companies across various sectors, such as Coca Cola, JPMorgan Chase, PepsiCo, PBS, Walmart, Meta, and Target, feeling pressure to phase out their DEIA initiatives due to potential loss of government contracts.
4. In a global context, the Trump Administration sent letters to European companies, demanding they abolish their DEIA programs by the end of March 2025, sparking discussions and potential controversy regarding the administration's imposition of such demands on other countries.
5. Concurrent with the DEIA movement, concerns about its relevance to specific communities such as the Jewish community began to emerge, due to perceived biases or misunderstandings. This issue has become a subject of debate within the editorial section of various publications, as well as in discussions about crime-and-justice and social issues.

Read also: