DEI Backlash: A Call for Genuine Equity Efforts

In the last five years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) went from boardroom buzzwords to front-page culture war targets. Once hailed as a moral and business imperative, DEI is now being declared “dead” in some circles, with companies rolling back initiatives under legal pressures, political scrutiny, or social fatigue.

But let’s be clear: while the label may be under siege, the mission remains.

The real work of equity has never been limited to corporate ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) or DEI reports. It has always lived in our local communities: in the nonprofits led by Black and Brown women, in mutual aid networks, and faith-based organizations. These are the spaces where equity was being fought for long before DEI entered PowerPoint slides, and they are the spaces we must now do