8mo ago

Trump promises a crackdown on diversity initiatives. Fearful institutions are dialing them back already

www.theguardian.com

Summary

Donald Trump’s return to office is expected to trigger a widespread crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Institutions are already scaling back DEI programs out of fear of funding cuts, lawsuits, or political pressure, even in states without legal mandates.

Advocates warn of a “chilling effect,” with some universities overcomplying and misinterpreting restrictions. Companies like Walmart have also started reducing diversity efforts under pressure.

Experts predict this will be the most aggressive anti-DEI administration yet, forcing institutions to navigate legal and ethical challenges.

Many argue universities must resist and uphold academic freedom, even at financial risk.

11 comments

I'm just spitballing here but maybe stop advertising it and just keep hiring diversely. I feel like a lot of this is just "Look at us, look how diverse we are." It's like the people who give to charity and then tell everyone everywhere how charitable they are. Just do it and shut the fuck up about it.
Maybe I am wrong, IDK, I just get tired of all the look-at-me equity.
- To hire diversely, they need to gather statistics to quantify, at which point they have ready-made marketing for hiring.
- So it’s a bad thing to say you’re diverse? Racism is so strong in this country.
  
  In a climate where the powers that be are actively punishing people for it? It could be a bad thing for you. Is it better to be loud and shut down or quiet and continue doing the good you are doing?
- Yes, the insufferable wokewashing was getting tiresome for nearly everyone (but apparently the people that still insist on doing it).
Always these lickspittles with their rushed compliance before anything is even "ordered"
- Companies like Walmart were never committed to diversity, equity, or inclusion. They did it because they thought they had to in order to garner support from the public. But the public just elected a corrupt bigot to the highest office, so they feel confident they can scale back.
- Yeah, that's even more insufferable than the wokewashing was in the first place. First it is all...look at us, look at how woke we are, then before anyone even lifts a finger and before donvict is even in office they fold like a house of cards. Gosh, they sure seem like they were committed to change...
This seems like an implementation of the idea that racism goes away when you stop talking about it. Well, treatment and prevention in medicine aren't usually the same. In a just and fair society maybe colorblindness and meritocracy are the best policies, but only if you start with a fair and just society.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion seems wrong when you don't take into account all the various ways that systemic racism already screws over minorities.
Does it seem wrong that schools and companies will pick a minority vs a white person even if the minority candidate isn't as qualified? Sure, I get why it might feel that way in a microcosm. In the macro-sense though, minorities on average make less money, live in worse neighborhoods and therefore wind up going to much worse schools, have less opportunities to get ahead and make money, and generally have a MUCH, MUCH tougher time breaking out and succeeding. White people purposely wrote laws that made it difficult for people to get ahead. Our society and laws are stacked against a lot of these people. DEI was a way to start trying to level the playing field, a way to start getting these people ahead, into better schools, more lucrative jobs....offering people a step up.
Getting rid of these initiatives is going to make things harder for a lot of people.
So bizarre that DEI triggers donvict and his base so hard - they act like it is somehow a bad thing, and using terms like "crackdown" reinforces that notion. As if they are cracking down on something criminal....

11 comments