Each day brings new developments surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The latest: a lawsuit filed by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, challenging Trump administration threats to strip funding from schools with DEI programs.
According to critics, DEI is a dangerous and divisive project, imbued with bias against White people. The hatred is palpable in some circles. “DEI must DIE,” writes Elon Musk.
What is it they find so vile?
Detractors reduce DEI to racist rhetoric and bureaucratic bloat. The vision they invoke is an unkind caricature. A distortion. A fiction.
University of Michigan Regents reject these falsehoods as they affirm commitments to DEI, expanding access and opportunity. They explain, “the University should be a place that welcomes talented and hard working students from a broad range of backgrounds with open arms, where students from Detroit to Alpena come and call home, and leave with a degree that changes their lives forever.”
Having taught at Michigan for 25 years, I could not agree more.
One question on the minds of many: what exactly is (and isn’t) DEI?
The acronym “DEI” refers to a wide range of values, aspirations, policies, practices, and procedures. We see them show up in many spaces, from higher education to healthcare to the Fortune 500. The goal is simple: to create conditions where people from all walks of life can thrive and do their best work.
Let’s take a deeper dive.
Read the full article on the Detroit Free Press.
