The resistance to DEI is pervasive and clearly visible. After the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott was demonized on X as a “DEI mayor.” Across social media platforms, anti-DEI advocates declare that the acronym stands for “Didn’t Earn It.”
The cultural uprising is evident in the efforts of the 500,000-member Heritage Foundation Project 2025 aimed to eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in companies, organizations and universities.
In response, several global companies responded including Bank of America Corp, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Tesla Inc. and Zoom Video Communication, Inc. have significantly scaled back their diversity efforts. Citing reverse discrimination, they will now open up their programs, once aimed at recruiting, promoting and retaining women and people of color, to everyone.
A self-reinforcing problem
Disagreements over diversity efforts are not new. Recently there has been historical resistance, especially from many white men Elon Musk And Bill Ackman.
A recurring theme from my conversations with white men during my tenure as Senior Vice President of Global Industry Affairs & Corporate Race Initiatives at Procter & Gamble is how DEI efforts cause them to bear the brunt of negative comparisons. Since they often make up the largest employee segment, they are used as a benchmark or standard. But instead of feeling like they are the benchmark, many feel like they are themselves left out–or even a goal.
The underrepresentation of Black executives as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies is an example of why DEI efforts are needed. In 2023There were only eight Black CEOs on this list, or 1.6% of all Fortune 500 CEOs. There were two women and six men on that list, and the number was even lower than in 2022.
However, when so few companies are led by a Black CEO, it contributes to the myth of the singularity, as the “only” representative is supposed to allay concerns and questions about diversity. The first Black CEO – or leader of an underrepresented cohort – can be viewed as a victory; it can also be viewed as tokenism.
To avoid the appearance of “oneism,” companies must demonstrate their full commitment to top-down diversity, without cultural favoritism for any single demographic. Without it, internal conflicts can arise and possibly GoogleComplain.
A business necessity
As the country’s demographics evolve, DEI is a necessity for companies to address. By 2045, non-Hispanic whites will no longer make up the majority of the population, the study found US Census Bureau.
During my time at Procter & Gamble, I witnessed the factors that determine whether an employee stays with the company or not, including related DEI initiatives.
The first three years that an employee spends in a company determine whether they leave the company or stay. It is noteworthy that many Millennials And Gen Z Employees are averse to a lack of diversity and express that they want to be part of a culture that operates ethically and fairly. If this is missing, the loyalty to the company weakens.
The World Economic Forum 2020 (WEF) report declares DEI a moral, legal and economic imperative, with profitability up to 36% more likely in organizations that adopt DEI. Innovation is 20% higher and decision making is impacted with up to 30% greater ability to reduce business risk. According to WEF, companies that fall behind on DEI are 29% less likely to achieve above-average profitability.
The first step is for management to conduct a thorough analysis of their organization, looking for biases in employee practices, internal policies, external services and products through interviews and a review of data.
It can be insightful to define where the biases lie in a quantifiable audit with numbers and data on the acceptance and advancement rates of different employees. New and mid-career employees can request this internal assessment and also track their own ratings and advancement opportunities.
If the bias is that gender, race, and differences cause underrepresented workers with similar experience and seniority to be promoted more slowly, the organization must help create a more equitable structure. This next step begins with suggestions and discussions from employees at all levels identifying options to eliminate bias in hiring, retention and development.
If they diligently work on the internal components within the organization and identify the hurdles to promotions, it would be a huge step towards changing the culture and enabling a path to the top for everyone. As more workers reveal not only the logistics of advancement but also their emotional reactions, finding the right balance between feeling and acting is critical.
Yes, DEI now has a controversial connotation. But the hard facts show that it can make a huge contribution to growing a business that benefits everyone – not just a few.
Barron Witherspoon, Sr. is the author of The Black Exec and the Seven Mythsa TEDX speaker and serves as vice chair on the Tuskegee University Board of Trustees.
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