“DEI isn’t actually dead,” proclaimed a recent CNN headline, in a piece by consumer reporter Nathaniel Meyersohn that somehow managed to be both condescending and ignorant at the same time. CNN would like you to believe corporate diversity isn’t really going anywhere, just changing its external terminology from the oft-maligned term “DEI” to more nebulous terms like “belonging” and “inclusivity,” while maintaining all of its internal elements.
Personally, I both love and hate this piece and the viewpoint it belies. I love that CNN actually believes the DEI skeptic coalition — made up of many serious investors, dedicated state fiduciaries, and corporate engagement professionals — is naive enough to just go away because companies changed the names of their diversity departments. But I also hate that CNN’s dream scenario might actually happen. Let me explain.
The ball’s rolling. This year was a major step towards undoing the damage done by discriminatory diversity initiatives and rejecting the radicalism of much of modern “anti-racism.” And it’s not even just Trump’s victory (although America’s rejection of Kamala Harris is a lesson DEI advocates seem unwilling to learn). Thanks to the efforts of conservative activists like Robby Starbuck, there is a growing list of companies walking back, slashing, or in some cases altogether removing their DEI initiatives.
There’s also the ever-growing wave of scrutiny on the discriminatory elements of DEI coming from legal groups like Alliance Defending Freedom, financial officers in red states, and of course the shareholders we represent every day in the corporate engagement world.
The halls of American academia are following suit, with campuses like the University of Michigan and Mizzou overhauling their DEI initiatives. Even whole states like Idaho are taking steps to stamp DEI out of publicly-funded institutions. And that’s not even considering the broader social pushback against the racialism that infected American society post-George Floyd, from the success of documentaries like Matt Walsh’s “Am I Racist?“ to the rejection of the race narratives surrounding high-visibility court cases like Daniel Penny.
That’s the roadmap. And it’s easy to think the momentum of the battle against DEI’s problematic elements is all downhill from here. In reality, these are just the first steps, albeit crucial ones. The next steps? Keep walking the road. This is a labor that will take years — and losing momentum is the one thing we cannot afford. In fact, losing momentum is what the Left and the advocates of DEI’s most pernicious elements are counting on us to do. Seems unimaginable given the groundswell of anti-DEI, anti-ESG, and generally anti-woke sentiment that’s sprung up post-November. Give it time.
Post-inauguration, when life returns to normal, we have to keep at the task of rooting out the discriminatory and divisive ideology that so often permeates DEI programs. The staying force of the Left is tremendous. But we’re not just in a battle against the forces of the Left. We’re in a battle against the force of institutional inertia. If we stop, we lose. We must keep pushing. If you work for or own shares in a company with DEI programs, keep pushing for answers. If you’re at a college with a DEI program, keep pushing for answers. If we do these things, and don’t give up, 2025 can be America’s best year yet on rejecting the discrimination and divisiveness so many DEI programs promulgate.
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Isaac Willour is an award-winning journalist focusing on race, culture, and American conservatism, as well as a corporate relations analyst at Bowyer Research. His work has been featured at outlets including USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times Opinion, C-SPAN and the Daily Wire. He is a member of the Young Voices contributor program and can be found on X @IsaacWillour.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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