DEI are the initials for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. These are organizational frameworks that seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented, marginalized, or subject to discrimination. The diversity part of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is not simply diversity in order to check off a box indicating that the right number of races, genders or religions are represented. (Although, to be honest, some organizations treat it exactly like this) It is a recognition that in the past certain demographics have been overlooked and passed over for job prospects and promotions. In it's pure form it pushes organizations to consider people that they may have not considered in the past. For example, refusing to consider a woman for a position because of the perception that a woman will get pregnant and quit, or that childcare is more important than the job; or a Black candidate being passed over because his background doesn't make him "a good fit". The diversity piece is simply about compelling organizations to look seriously at qualified people that they may have in the past ignored.
Equity, in short, is recognizing that not everyone comes from the same background, or has the same needs. An organization that values equity ensures that everyone has the tools that will allow them to achieve the same outcomes. Fair compensation falls into this category. Accommodating disabled individuals — screen readers for blind office workers for example, or desks that can be utilized by wheelchair users — fall under equity. Inclusion refers to creating an organizational culture that creates an experience where all employees feel their voices will be heard and a sense of belonging and integration. How can you argue with that?
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is not reverse discrimination. It is not hiring unqualified women or minorities and passing over qualified white men.
When I worked for The Omaha World-Herald in the 80's and 90's, one of the top managers in my department was a former athlete. Most of his hires and promotions were people just like him: men with sports backgrounds who had the mindset of a football coach. Undoubtedly he did not consider himself racist or sexist, but left to themselves most people will look for people like themselves, or who have the same values and skills, to fill positions. When a hiring manager has this mindset, naturally all their hires will look and act virtually identically. People, even those who mean well, usually need to be encouraged, if not actually forced, to think outside the box. That's what a focus on diversity does.
Equity and inclusion mostly apply once someone is already inside an organization. Are their voices being heard? Or are the bosses only listening to their favorites, or people from their ethic group or church? Are reasonable accommodations being made for disabilities or neurodivergent personalities? Of course the work still needs to be done, but is the organization too focussed on inconsequentials and not on the outcome? Like with diversity, sometimes organizations need to be pushed to make their workplaces equitable and inclusive.
The right wing, including the Trump regime, has redefined Diversity, Equity and Inclusion effectively as reverse discrimination and as a program to shoehorn in unqualified people ahead of qualified white males. They have coined the term "DEI Hire" to refer to people that they assume have received their position due to their gender, race, ethnicity or religion. It's become an insult thrown at Black professionals, women executives, and anyone who is a non-white, non-cis-male. Sadly, many progressives have taken to throwing this slur at unqualified Trump appointees.
A related redefining of a progressive term is "woke". Originating among American Blacks, it was an encouragement to "stay woke", i.e. stay awake, stay aware, of the racial prejudice, racism and discrimination that surrounds us. It gained popularity during the Black Lives Matter protests and was picked up by white progressives to include awareness of LGBTQ issues and widely to signal support of progressive causes. Rightists began using it as a catch-all insult for all things liberal without having to be specific. Our own governor refers to anything he doesn't agree with as "woke garbage".
Once they got into power with Trump, the Project 2025 wizards set to purging any trace of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from government. But it got worse.
In their quest to eliminate all traces of "DEI" from government, they used blunt force search programs to hunt down any mention of anything that even looked like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Health and Human Services studies that focussed on pregnant women were eliminated, any race-based tracking went away, medical studies that looked at varying outcomes among different demographics were scrubbed. But it got worse.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was now viewed as illegal discrimination and the Justice Department began threatening private companies and universities that they would be prosecuted under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if they retained these programs!
This redefining of terms has allowed the regime, and right wingers in general, to oppose the straw man versions of things that progressives stand for, appealing to the lowest common denominator without having to actually make their case. And the poorly educated and willfully ignorant fall for it.
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