Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been a prime goal for liberals, but does it do more harm than good for the minorities it claims to be championing? In an effort to make the workplace more fair and open, corporations and companies have spent millions of dollars training employees, setting up DEI departments, and restructuring the workplace. While initially welcomed with open arms by its supporters, more people, including minorities and those on the left, are beginning to oppose it.
DEI Is Not as Fair to Minorities as Proposed
New research released at the end of March by Britain’s Free Speech Union (FSU) suggests diversity training is actually creating hostile work environments for minorities. Titled “The EDI Tax: How Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Is Hobbling British Businesses,” the poll found that 36% of the 800 surveyed said they had witnessed employees being penalized by their employer because they challenged the training, and 12% said they had seen staff fired for doing so.
DEI is supposed to make offices more inclusive, especially for minorities and LGBTQ+, but instead it is causing people to feel uncomfortable. For instance, 62% of workers questioned said they’ve had to hide their true thoughts about the training they’ve received, and 22% claimed they have been compelled to say things that they don’t believe, according to FSU. “This rises to 31% among Black and Asian respondents.” When it comes to their personal, religious, or political views, 45% reported that the training conflicted with their beliefs, and 31% said they left their job because of their employer’s woke ideology. “This figure is higher among minority groups: 43% for Black employees, 46% for Asian and 46% for LGBT.”
Supporters argue DEI is a necessary part of doing business. A Pew Research survey found that 56% of workers said focusing on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion is a good thing. Built in’s website claims that DEI is important because the population is changing and becoming more diverse, and the population of white people is decreasing. “Non-Hispanic white people are no longer projected to account for the majority of Americans by 2045, making the U.S. more racially and ethnically pluralistic by this time.” Furthermore, it added, “One in three Americans is projected to belong to a race other than white by 2060, with the fastest-growing U.S. racial or ethnic group being those who are two or more races.”
However, white people make up 76.5% of the workforce and Hispanics 18.8%, blacks 12.8%, and Asians 6.9%, according to built in.
As reported by the outlet, when it comes to the younger generation, 48% of Generation Z are racial or ethnic minorities and millennials are 19% more diverse than baby boomers. Gender also plays an important role, with more than half (55.4%) of US employees being women, who still face a gender gap in pay as of 2023. The “median weekly earnings of full-time working women [equal] 83.6 percent of the median weekly earnings by full-time working men.”
Although the statistics show a change in diversity in the United States, that doesn’t necessarily mean DEI is working as promised. Missouri state Rep. Justin Hicks is the only non-white Republican in the state’s House and is currently running for Congress. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, he said he has been harassed by Democrats because of his race. Last year, during a debate on a bill that opposed funds for DEI initiatives, a Democrat pestered him to name his ethnicity, Hicks’ response, “I identify as an American,” received applause.
In a recent interview, Hicks claimed that minorities are starting to wake up to the wokeness and “false promises” from the left. “The Democrats have had a free pass with a lot of minority groups, but I think a lot of the minority groups are starting to realize that the Democrats have, pretty much, false promises that they’re giving them,” he told the outlet, adding that Republican values are resonating with those from various groups. “I think, come November, we’re going to see a big shift when it comes to minority groups.”
Former CNN host Don Lemon -- known for his far-left beliefs -- has been very vocal in his support of liberal agendas, so when he spoke out against DEI, it was a real eye-opener. Although he said there are some good things about diversity, equity, and inclusion, “It’s gone too far. It’s become a religion and if you don’t abide by the religion you get kicked out of the church,” he said during an interview on Real Time with Bill Maher in April.
Equal rights for all is necessary, and few Americans would disagree. However, the problem is the way DEI goes about it. It is difficult to promote equality by creating hostilities toward another race, such as bashing white privilege. DEI is finally facing a reckoning.
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