The unequal burden of DEI bans

Abstract

In the wake of the growing number of bills aiming to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, practices, and funding in the United States, we echo the need to take action to ensure that DEI practices and education, and their benefits for minoritized communities, remain intact (Follmer et al., 2024).However, as we collectively try to navigate turbulent political waters, we must recognize that there is harm done by the current legislative efforts and consequences for resisting them, and that such outcomes are unequally distributed.That is, individuals who do work in the DEI space broadly-including, but not limited to, teaching, research, practice, or policymaking-are impacted by anti-DEI policies most acutely.Additionally, DEI-related work tends to be done by those who hold minoritized identities themselves (Umoh, 2024), potentially exacerbating already entrenched workplace inequity.The goal of this commentary is correspondingly to identify (a) the ways in which anti-DEI policies create unique challenges for those who do DEI work, (b) the potential for those challenges to widen the gulf between minoritized individuals and their peers, and (c) the need for organizations to mobilize resources to protect the well-being of those most at risk.We hope that by drawing attention to these issues, we can both highlight the turmoil DEI scholars and practitioners are currently experiencing and offer recommendations for how organizations can best support them.

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