How to Make D.E.I. (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) Better

There’s a weariness in the air around conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Once seen as an overdue reckoning, D.E.I. has become, for many, a target of cynicism and suspicion. Critics call it performative. Politicians campaign against it. And even those who support the ideals often question whether the practice is living up to its promise.

It’s a complicated moment. But perhaps the answer isn’t to cancel D.E.I.—it’s to do it better.

D.E.I.. History Did Not Start in the Boardroom

D.E.I. may be framed today as a corporate initiative, but its origins lie elsewhere—in protest, in struggle, in the hard-won gains of civil rights movements. The earliest calls for equity came from communities demanding to be seen and treated fairly, including Reconstruction-era efforts to dismantle Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and the push for gender equality and disability rights in the decades that followed.

What began as social movements later found their way into institutional policies and practices. By the late 20th century, D.E.I. entered the lexicon of businesses, schools, and governments. In the 1990s, many companies began to associate the concept with performance, arguing that diverse teams yielded better outcomes. That argument still holds. But the heart of the matter was never just efficiency or innovation. It was dignity.

Beyond Buzzwords

What does it mean to talk about D.E.I.?

Diversity is about representation—not just ticking demographic boxes, but welcoming the perspectives shaped by different life experiences.

Equity is about fairness, not giving everyone the same, but ensuring each person has a genuine opportunity to succeed, especially those who have been long excluded.

Inclusion is about belonging—about creating spaces where people don’t have to edit who they are to feel safe, respected, or heard.

These aren’t radical ideas. They’re fundamental social values, reframed in a context where systems have often favored some while disadvantaging others.

Why D.E.I. Still Matters

Supporters of D.E.I. often point to statistics: diverse leadership teams perform better, inclusive companies retain more talent, and equity-focused organizations tend to be more adaptive. These are compelling points.

But the case for D.E.I. isn’t just empirical—it’s moral. In a society as pluralistic as ours, inclusion isn’t optional. It’s foundational. When people feel unseen, unheard, or unwelcome, everyone loses something—trust frays. Innovation slows. Humanity suffers.

That’s why the work matters even when it’s flawed.

A Time of Backlash

In recent years, D.E.I. has found itself at the center of political controversy. Several U.S. states have passed or proposed laws restricting the use of public funds for diversity training. Some universities have eliminated diversity offices. Corporations have quietly scaled back initiatives in response to pressure from shareholders or public backlash.

Some of this resistance is political theatre. Some of it is frustration over programs that failed to deliver real change. And some of it is fear of losing status, of being blamed, of confronting hard truths about inequality.

But backlash does not mean failure. It means the conversation is progressing to the places it needs to go. And that work is rarely comfortable.

The Problem With How D.E.I. Been Done

Many D.E.I. efforts have been well-intentioned, but their impact has been uneven. One-off training sessions can’t dismantle structural inequality. Mission statements don’t shift culture. Representation without voice is window dressing.

Some programs have also leaned heavily on jargon—language that can feel abstract or inaccessible to those unfamiliar with the work. Others have overlooked how race, gender, class, disability, and sexuality intersect in people’s lives.

And in too many places, employees from marginalized groups continue to report experiences that don’t match their employer’s stated values. The gap between rhetoric and reality remains wide.

What Doing D.E.I. Better Looks Like

To move forward, D.E.I. must grow up. It must be less about appearances and more about accountability. Less about obligation and more about opportunity. Less about slogans—and more about substance.

That means:

Clear goals that go beyond hiring quotas to address retention, promotion, and culture.
Leadership buy-in that shows up in everyday decisions, not just annual reports.
Safe channels for feedback, especially from those most affected by exclusion.
Data that tracks progress honestly, without reducing people to metrics.
Humility, because this work is not about being right—it’s about learning and evolving.

And most importantly, it means listening without defensiveness, listening across differences, and listening not for applause, but for understanding.

Small Stories, Big Shifts

Real inclusion is quiet. It’s a manager changing how they run meetings so every voice is heard. It’s an employee who finally feels safe correcting how their name is pronounced. It’s a workplace where someone’s identity isn’t a liability, but a source of strength.

One case study tells the story of Nora, an autistic graduate student in Communication Sciences and Disorders, whose professors and peers adapted their approach to support her strengths, demonstrating how inclusive education begins with listening.

In Appalachia, small businesses partnered with community networks to create diverse hiring pipelines that uplifted local economies without relying on top-down mandates, just through honest conversations and shared goals.

Meanwhile, Project Include has helped startups reimagine workplace norms to support gender and racial equity from the ground up. The nonprofit Welcoming America has worked with towns and rural communities across the U.S. to build inclusive economies rooted in hospitality, rather than politics.

Change doesn’t always come from a policy memo. It often begins with a conversation.

A Shared Future

The future of D.E.I. will depend on whether we treat it as a checkbox or as a shared responsibility. As something done to people, or built with them.

This work is not easy. It requires honesty. It demands courage. And yes, it invites criticism. But that’s the price of anything worth doing well.

Let’s not reduce D.E.I. to a scapegoat or a slogan.

Let’s ask what it was always meant to be: a path toward a more just, more humane, more peaceful world.

Further D.E.I. Reading and Source Materials

For those who wish to dive deeper into the roots, realities, and evolving future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D.E.I.), here are selected sources that informed this article: