Demetria Miles-McDonald is a DEI strategist, trainer, and consultant and the creator of the Table of Diversity.
On January 20, President Trump issued an executive order to “End Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing.”
This executive order stemmed from President Biden’s “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government” Executive Order in 2021.
This required every federal agency to submit ‘Equity Action Plans’ to outline how they plan to build systems that treat people fairly. President Trump’s order reversed this and instructed the termination of all DEIA “mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.” This applied to federal employees, contractors, and grantees.
On Tuesday, January 21, the Office of Personnel Management sent a memo directing agencies to “place DEI office staffers on paid leave by 5pm Wednesday and take down all public DEI-focused webpages.” They were also instructed to “terminate all equity action plans; equity actions, initiatives, or programs; equity related grants or contracts; and DEIA requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.”
This wasn’t a surprise to anyone based on the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to end affirmative action in college admissions and Trump’s relentless attacks on DEI during his presidential campaign. However, the response from corporate America has been disappointing.
Instead of standing firm in their commitment to DEI, where leaders are continuing to undo the systemic -isms and inequities to make the world better for everyone, corporate America has acquiesced. Walmart, Mcdonald's, Meta, and now Target have scaled down or eliminated DEI initiatives — some in response to the anti-DEI movement’s growing pressure and some because they were never serious to begin with. Others have issued a scathing response that fights against the attacks from the public sector and a few consumers: Lead with inclusion and belonging.
Inclusion and belonging help create the kind of workplaces where everyone thrives. Inclusion refers to the behaviors and actions that make people feel seen and heard. When done correctly, inclusion leads to people feeling a sense of belonging — like they can be themselves and thrive.
The other two pieces are diversity and equity. The war on DEI primarily focuses on these two aspects. Diversity is the unique combination of inherent and acquired traits — identities, perspectives, and experiences — that we are born possessing and those we acquire over time. Equity is the systemic closing of gaps that disproportionally affect people based on their diversity.
When working in tandem, all aspects of DEIB are powerful. Research shows that organizations that commit to DEI experience higher levels of success. Having a multifaceted strategy that focuses on behavior (inclusion), policy (equity), data (diversity), and outcomes (belonging) continues to be an effective approach. So, hearing leaders lead with inclusion and belonging, without mentioning diversity and equity, feels like submitting.
It feels like a weakening of efforts that weren’t the strongest to begin with. It feels like the very ‘kumbaya-like’ moment that DEI claimed to not be about. It feels like the current administration and its supporters are playing chess by changing laws, while corporations are playing checkers by focusing on the more gentle, more performative side of DEI.
Instead of leading with bold actions to restore equity, many organizations have chosen the path of least resistance: championing inclusion and belonging. Corporate leaders are sidestepping the harder conversations and actions equity demands.
Many have resorted to changing the name of their efforts to emphasize belonging, instead of reclaiming and living up to the promise of DEI. Sure, the name of this work has evolved over the years, but it’s always been in a positive direction that further emphasizes the growing impact on people and systems.
Now is not the time for soft approaches. If leaders truly care about DEIB, they must lead in this moment with a level of boldness that matches and exceeds the magnitude of harm being done.
Leading boldly means advocating for laws and norms that benefit their employees, customers and community, while holding themselves accountable for addressing systemic inequities within their own organizations.
Anything less is accepting defeat.
