Depoliticizing DEI: Path to fulfillment of its core values and effective implementation

The focal article (Follmer et al., 2024) describes the mounting threats to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives posed by conservative legislative initiatives, providing advice for individuals, organizations, educators, and researchers to persist in their DEI efforts despite these challenges.Expanding on these strategies, this commentary argues for a more fundamental approach to ensuring the sustainability of DEI efforts: depoliticizing DEI.It discusses the rationales for depoliticizing DEI, examines the reasons for the current bipartisan divide, and proposes strategies to bridge this gap.