History of D.E.I.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, also known as D.E.I is an idea that promotes fair treatment and full participation of a group of people. It's been around since the mid 1960s when racial discrimination within the workplace was not uncommon. As workplaces were becoming more diverse, it acted as a map in order to guide people to the adjusting diversity that was occurring in the offices. Throughout the years, there have been times when it resurges, in the 80s, there was more of a focus on broadening D.E.I., to include different ethnicities, religions, and LGBTQ+ communities. Some criticized it for becoming too broad, because of the origin being focused on race. However, in the 2000s it would continue to expand, this time for people with disabilities, and sexual orientation. Like many movements, it would adjust to the changing world, including creating a bigger online presence, with different hashtags to promote it ideas including Black Lives Matter, MeToo and others. In 2020, it would once again reignite conversation with the protests over police brutality.
Why it's important
D.E.I. is important for multiple reasons. Starting off with the idea that everyone should be equal, whether it be gender, disability, race, or any of reason. Discrimination should never be accepted whether it's in the workplace or an educational system.
Another reason for promoting the idea of D.E.I., is because it improves and broadens a companies reach. Being able to have a diverse group of employees allows for different voices to be heard.
Pushback
While D.E.I. has had a positive impact for some, there are others that don't agree with its message. According to CNBC, they stated U.S. companies spent 8 billion dollars on D.E.I. training. The argument against D.E.I. is that we are spending a lot of money on promoting the idea with little results. Others say that companies only adopt it when it becomes "popular" like most recently with the protests in 2020. Some companies are deciding to scale back on promoting the message, while others are choosing to double down on it.
Opinions
I believe that D.E.I. can have a positive impact on companies and their reach to a consumer. I believe that companies that adopt the idea, should try to come across as genuine, instead of doing it for the popularity. Majority of workers also agree with the idea of promoting D.E.I. According to a PEW Research Article "A majority of workers (56%) say focusing on increasing diversity, equity and inclusion at work is mainly a good thing; 28% say it is neither good nor bad, and 16% say it is a bad thing."
Sources
https://www.ndnu.edu/history-of-dei-the-evolution-of-diversity-training-programs/
https://youtu.be/LMUWTDRfWDs?si=KqqhXsqDCl0E0Scm
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/05/17/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/
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