We’ve heard a lot about DEI recently — most of it bad. The acronym has been politicized to represent everything wrong with government, education and business. We see supporters use it as a check-the-box virtue signal, while opponents point to it as a universal scapegoat. But many attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion show a misunderstanding of long-held American values. Diversity is a value and principle of an organization committed to appreciating and respecting differences. Equity is providing the same access and opportunities for all. Inclusion is developing an environment where people feel welcomed, appreciated for their uniqueness, and valued for their skills and talents.
Somewhere these values became conflated and confused with affirmative action. Unlike affirmative action, DEI is not compliance driven, where quotas need to be met. Affirmative action was government mandated. DEI is voluntary. Affirmative action benefited certain groups. DEI benefits all. Affirmative action was contained to one department. DEI is a shared endeavor across an organization. Affirmative action opened doors in organizations. DEI opens minds and attitudes.
What undergirds the validity and relevance of DEI is census data. One of the main reasons every leader, business owner, parent, teacher and clergy member should care about DEI is because census data matters. For more than three decades, economists, statisticians and politicians have been watching and analyzing that data. Every 10 years when the census is taken, it reinforces the findings from the previous census. The data has predicted that there would be more people of color in the United States by 2045 than white people. This data can also inform new dynamics, structures and descriptors in the demographic composition of the country. For example, if brown people will make up the majority of people in the country, then this could translate into white people being the minority. For some, this could be a daunting notion to consider.
Just because DEI programs are removed from academic, corporate and governmental entities does not deny its existence and inevitability. DEI helps us become stronger, better and greater.
DEI has been incorrectly identified as Black or African American. But DEI does not target one group for advancement. It includes women, veterans, Asians, Native Americans, disabled people, parents, senior citizens, millennials, zoomers, LGBTQIA+, every religion, socioeconomic status, etc. At DEI’s core is the principle that everyone matters and everyone is included. Everyone matters means that their ethnicity, traditions, experiences and cultural norms matter. Their history, struggles, triumphs and sacrifices are important. The consideration of people’s backgrounds and experiences takes into account the contributions of America’s culture. America is a strong, rich and powerful nation not because of one group, but because of the participation of many groups.
In business, differences have value. There is currency associated with differences. DEI is a competitive advantage, where differences are strengths that are leveraged to benefit the consumer, employee and community.
According to a June 2024 U.S. Census report, the Hispanic population is growing the fastest. Between 2022 and 2023, it represented just under 71 percent of the country’s growth. The Hispanic spending power is $2 trillion per year. The African American spending power is $1.8 trillion per year. To successfully market to these groups, companies will need a DEI strategy to speak their language, hire people who look like them and appeal to their cultural traditions. Based on America’s growing diversity, future businesses could slump or fail without a DEI strategy.
For health care providers, hospitals and clinics treating African Americans, it’s important to understand why hypertension, diabetes and hyperpigmentation are prevalent in the community and social constructs. Likewise for appreciating the patriarchal structure in the Hispanic family.
One of the most effective components of DEI is training. It teaches us cultural competence, including the traditions and cultural norms of different groups and how to embrace and respect them. As examples, the training content helps us appreciate why Islamic women wear hijabs, why Jewish men wear a yarmulke and why Muslims pray at Salah times. It also helps us identify our unconscious bias and blind spots.
DEI matters because it’s important for companies to reflect the customer and community they serve. DEI matters because individuals want to see themselves reflected within the company’s culture, leadership, collateral, advertising, etc. DEI matters because it increases brand loyalty to diverse groups. DEI matters because it prepares us for the future — different languages, traditions, cultures and norms — and how to respect them for the betterment of humanity.
Theresa Dear is a national board member of the NAACP and a strategist at The Human Capital Strategy Group.
This story appears in the June 2025 issue of DeseretMagazine. Learn more about how to subscribe.