DEI

I am deeply outraged by the relentless backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in both the public and private sectors. It is more than just rhetoric—it is a direct assault on the hard-fought progress of African Americans in this country. We are being asked to believe that after 250 years of enslavement, a brief but thwarted Reconstruction, nearly a century of racial terror, discrimination, legalized segregation, and decades of resistance to civil rights gains, America has miraculously become a color-blind meritocracy.

This notion is not just flawed—it is absurd.

History tells a different story. The erosion of civil rights protections, ongoing racial disparities, and the resurgence of reactionary politics make it clear: DEI is not a threat to fairness; it is a necessary response to centuries of systemic exclusion. Those attacking it are not defending meritocracy but reinforcing a status quo that has never been fair.

No evidence supports the idea that DEI initiatives allow inexperienced or unqualified individuals to take on roles they don’t deserve, thereby preventing more qualified individuals from ascending. This argument is a rhetorical shell game that conveniently ignores a long, well-documented history of individuals being granted opportunities, promotions, and leadership positions despite evident incompetence, lack of experience, or outright failure.

For centuries, power in business, politics, and academia has remained concentrated within a narrow demographic, not because of an unbroken lineage of excellence but because access to opportunity was systemically limited to certain groups while excluding others. The corridors of influence were built on legacy admissions, nepotism, and exclusive networks that ensured advantage, regardless of merit. Some of the most catastrophic financial, political, and corporate failures in history—including economic collapses and policy disasters—can be traced to decision-makers who faced little accountability for their mismanagement but continued to rise.

Yet, structural advantages persist, reinforcing disparities across economic, educational, legal, and social systems—contradicting the claim that DEI initiatives create an unfair disadvantage for those who have historically held power. These inequities have been ingrained across generations, shaping who has access to leadership and influence.

A true meritocracy does not exist in America, and certainly not for African Americans. It cannot exist until we acknowledge that talent or hard work has never solely determined opportunity.

There must be a reckoning. Not a symbolic one but a structural and material one—a transformation that ensures access, equity, and justice are not just ideals but realities. The question is not whether change will come but how and when. Will it be intentional, driven by a collective American commitment to fairness? Or will it be forced by the undeniable weight of history demanding redress?