Mississippi legislators have passed HB 1193 and SB 2515, bills to restrict diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in education. Across the nation, lawmakers in more than 30 states have introduced or passed bills to restrict or regulate DEI initiatives.
What IS DEI, really?
But what IS DEI, and do bans on it make you more or less free?
Before recently being singled out for bans, DEI was usually an uncontroversial prospect that ended up in the Human Resources department. DEI initiatives are internal guidelines for corporate training and institutional policymaking. They may be used to help employers create a diverse and effective workforce or to ensure that college students are drawn from a wide range of populations.
Diversity: The Freedom to be Yourself
In this case, diversity means more than race, gender, and sexuality. It includes many other identities, such as socioeconomic status, language, culture, religion, age, disability, height, weight, veteran status, and political perspective.
A common form of DEI, for example, are hiring programs designed to create employment opportunities for military veterans.
For employers, diversity means that individuals are free to be themselves and to bring their identities, perspectives, and experiences to the table to benefit their organization. In the best cases, this is more than just the freedom to exist: diversity welcomes an appreciation and respect for each individual's unique perspective.
Equity: The Freedom to Achieve your Full Potential
Equity works towards systems that are fair and just. It requires the recognition of disadvantages and barriers, and the allocation of resources to support equal opportunities for all. Equity can disrupt historical patterns of inequality and exclusion. It is a freedom from barriers to advancement, like systematic bias and discrimination.
For some organizations, DEI statements are just that: A statement that a company will attempt to equitably include a diverse group of people in their workforce and customer base. For others, it is a more serious goal, one that is allocated resources and support to ensure equal access and opportunities for all.
Inclusion: The Freedom from Marginalization
Inclusion isn’t just a seat at the table: It requires an active and ongoing effort to ensure everyone is welcomed, respected, and supported. An inclusive culture embraces and celebrates differences, promotes open and respectful dialogue, and lets individuals bring their authentic selves to the table without fear.
Far from being imposed by radicals or politicians, inclusion initiatives are usually implemented by corporate boards and stockholders interested in running companies with broad audiences, customer bases, and workforces. Inclusion makes common sense: why artificially narrow an organization’s customer or workforce base? Decades of research demonstrate how communities with diverse experiences and perspectives perform better at innovation, creativity, and problem-solving.
No matter who you are, DEI protects you, too.
DEI aids a lot of different people. Even if you’re included and treated equally today, you might not be tomorrow. People age. Disability can happen in an instant. Socioeconomic status can rise or fall. Programs like these also help prevent other types of discrimination, like those based around height, weight, and religion.
At the heart of American liberty is the freedom to be yourself. Our country’s history is riddled with instances where individual merit was ignored, not celebrated. DEI initiatives are one way that organizations have chosen to include more perspectives to improve organizational performance. Far from ignoring individual merit, DEI programs give a wider range of people the opportunity to achieve their full potential, no matter who they are. It is a freedom from discrimination and marginalization.
