As a Black disabled woman, I have firsthand experience with the barriers marginalized groups face when seeking employment. Finding a job was an uphill battle filled with gaslighting, dismissiveness, and systemic bias. Employers often underestimated my abilities and talked down to me as if my qualifications and potential were invisible. It was disheartening and dehumanizing, to say the least. While my journey ultimately led me to become a children’s author and business owner—a role I cherish—getting here was a struggle I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
The conversation around eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the workplace is alarming. These programs were not created to exclude anyone; they were designed to level the playing field for people who are equally qualified but often overlooked due to biases related to race, gender, disability, and other factors. Removing these initiatives doesn’t just erase progress—it actively causes harm to countless individuals who already face systemic barriers in their careers.
Why DEI Was Initiated
DEI initiatives were introduced to address long-standing inequities in hiring, retention, and promotion practices. Historically, many workplaces have operated within structures that prioritize homogeneity, excluding underrepresented groups from opportunities to advance or even enter the workforce. DEI exists to break those patterns and ensure that qualified candidates—regardless of their background—are given a fair chance to thrive.
These programs aim to:
1. Diversify the workforce: Companies create environments that reflect the broader society by actively seeking candidates from underrepresented groups.
2. Foster equity: DEI addresses systemic barriers that prevent people from succeeding based on their abilities, ensuring fair pay, advancement opportunities, and accommodations for disabilities.
3. Create inclusion: Inclusion ensures that every employee feels valued and respected, fostering collaboration and innovation.
DEI is not about giving unqualified people jobs—it’s about ensuring that qualified individuals are no longer overlooked due to implicit or explicit biases.
The Harm in Eliminating DEI
If DEI is eliminated, the ripple effects will be profound and damaging:
1. Reduced Access to Opportunities
Without DEI, hiring practices often revert to old biases. Marginalized groups will face even greater challenges in getting their foot in the door, let alone advancing in their careers. For Black, disabled, or otherwise marginalized individuals, the lack of intentional outreach and equitable practices could mean fewer job offers and opportunities for career growth.
2. Perpetuation of Workplace Bias
DEI initiatives provide training to help employees and leaders recognize and address biases. Without these programs, companies risk perpetuating hostile or exclusionary work environments where microaggressions, discrimination, and inequity thrive unchecked.
3. Loss of Diverse Perspectives
Workplace diversity leads to stronger innovation, better decision-making, and greater profitability. Eliminating DEI undermines these benefits, making companies less competitive and less reflective of the diverse world they serve.
4. Increased Marginalization
For people like me—those who face intersecting barriers of race, gender, and disability—the absence of DEI could mean fewer accommodations, less understanding, and an even greater struggle to navigate workplaces that are not designed with us in mind.
My Struggle to Be Seen
Before becoming an author, I spent years applying for jobs, only to be met with rejection or condescension. My qualifications were often dismissed, and I was made to feel as though my disability overshadowed my capabilities. The gaslighting I experienced—being told I need to call and check if I got the job or that “we have 2 available positions, you're in the top 3”—was a stark reminder of why DEI programs are essential.
Today, as a business owner and author, I have created a space where inclusion and diversity are a priority. But I know many others won’t have the opportunity to escape discriminatory systems and build their own paths.
Why We Must Fight for DEI
DEI isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s a necessity. It ensures that the workplace is a space where everyone can contribute, thrive, and be valued. Eliminating DEI sends a message that diversity and equity are optional, that inclusion is expendable, and that the barriers marginalized people face are acceptable.
We must push back against these harmful narratives. Advocating for DEI is about more than fairness—it’s about ensuring that workplaces reflect our society's diversity, talent, and potential. It’s about creating opportunities for people like me, who have had to fight against the odds, to be seen and valued for what we bring to the table.
The fight for DEI is personal, necessary, and urgent. Let’s continue to push for workplaces that embrace the diversity that makes our world stronger and more vibrant.
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