As a person who’s been in Human Resources for over a decade, DEI has been a core focus of not only my self-morals but also a requirement of any organization I decided to associate with, both internally as a team member or who I chose to take on as a client. Simply put, I am an advocate.
“DEI is the floor, and not the ceiling”.
Allow me to explain my stance by explaining what each letter means and using concise, real-world examples.
D- Diversity is representation– the presence of varied identities within a social group, or an organization including race, gender, age, and more.
“A company hires employees from a diverse background to mirror its customer base. However, without inclusion and equity, diversity alone does NOT create meaningful change. “
E-Equity ensures fairness by providing the necessary resources and opportunities based on individual needs, and recognizing that systemic barriers exist.
“If women of color are underrepresented in leadership, equity means creating targeted mentorship and development programs to address disparities.”
I-Inclusion fosters an environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to contribute.“ A company may have diverse hiring, but if employees don’t feel safe sharing ideas or being their authentic selves, true inclusion is missing.”
I’m not surprised by the recent rollbacks in DEI initiatives or Trump’s executive order coming back into play. Many of these efforts were reactionary—knee-jerk responses after the world finally stopped to witness the injustices faced by George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. Companies scrambled to “do something” because all eyes were on them. But the reality is when DEI isn’t embedded into the DNA of an organization, this is exactly what happens.
When individuals or organizations are forced to respond reactively instead of proactively laying the foundation for this work, the results are often superficial and fleeting. It’s easy to craft DEI statements when the world is watching, but it’s much harder to live those values authentically when the spotlight moves on.
Here’s my perspective: DEI is a floor, not a ceiling. It may have opened doors for some, but true equity is about more than just opening doors. It’s about rebuilding the entire house. It’s about tearing down the walls of systemic inequity and designing new structures that are truly inclusive, sustainable, and just.
The truth is, DEI was never meant to be a trend, a quick fix, or a box to check. It is the bare minimum, a starting point—not the endpoint. Anything less than full commitment to rebuilding from the ground up is performative at best and deeply harmful at worst.
Organizations that abandon DEI are revealing their true priorities and values. They are telling us—loudly and clearly—that this work was never truly a priority, just a temporary response to public pressure. And while that’s disheartening, it also strengthens the resolve of those of us who remain deeply committed to this work.
For those of us in this space, the message is clear: we still have a lot of rebuilding to do. But we’ve been doing this work long before it became a buzzword, and we’ll continue to do it long after the trend fades. Because for us, DEI is not a moment—it’s a movement, a responsibility, and a way of life.
