After DEI: A Different Future for Race, Work, and Policy

In the wake of organized backlash and federal opposition, many organizations are taking steps to downplay or dismantle their existing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming. While there are some exceptions, many institutions have largely chosen to retreat from DEI rather than embrace it. This stance has prompted disputes over DEI’s effectiveness, shortcomings, and potential. In this address, I argue that debates over the merits of DEI miss the mark. In an increasingly diverse, multiracial society, the more important question is not whether DEI has value, but what will follow it. Organizational practices in the aftermath of DEI will have heightened significance as work becomes more automated and highly relational, thus producing new ways of maintaining (and challenging) racial hierarchies. To resolve the tension of how best to structure workplaces in an increasingly diverse, yet anti-DEI, climate, I consider various factors that precipitated attacks on DEI and suggest that rethinking policy orientations can help close racial gaps in rapidly changing workplaces. Reducing these disparities can help better equip companies to manage more diverse workforces, creating a more productive economy and maximizing worker potential.