President Donald Trump signed an executive order in the first week of his presidency that called for the banning of “equity-related” grants or contracts,  including DEI programs. The executive order also revokes Executive Order 1126 (Equal Employment Opportunity), which increases workforce diversity and ensures equal employment opportunities for women and minorities, according to Reuters. So, what is DEI? DEI is short for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. There is a misconception that DEI only involves race. However, CBC News states that “DEI has its roots in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which barred employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion and other criteria.” More policies have been created since then to “promote fairness in the workplace and open career pathways for people of color and for women, while also expanding to include sexual orientation and gender identity.” As of February 21, 2025, “U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore granted a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from terminating or changing federal contracts they consider equity-related,” as stated by AP News. The plaintiffs also state that a decision to rid the country of DEI programs is a restriction on free speech.

One main argument against DEI programs is that they disregard merit and instead focus on diversity. Others who support DEI programs argue that looking for diversity is important to not “[screen] out women or people of color from being considered,” according to CBS News. Essentially, DEI programs are not meant to go against merit or to disadvantage white people but to help open up opportunities for those who may not have access or do not have good connections in industries. DEI helps push equity for workers who are underpaid or underrepresented. Jessica Fulton, the Vice president of Policy at the Join Center for Political and Economic Studies, describes the importance of DEI and how it still affects us today: “It could mean making sure women are able to enter traditionally male-dominated occupations, like construction or technology..It’s about addressing issues around equal pay for equal work, making sure people feel safe in the workplace so they don’t feel discrimination when they come to work, because workers who don’t feel safe are not the most productive.” DEI programs cover many groups, including veterans, women, people with disabilities, and first-generation students, according to Natalya M. Green from Scholars Strategy Network. DEI helps out a wide range of people; women, people of color, people with disabilities, those in the LGBTQ+ community, veterans and other minorities will all be affected by a DEI purge. According to the US Department of Labor, “Veterans who are disabled, who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to preference over others in hiring for virtually all federal government jobs.”

So, what’s with all the backlash? What’s wrong with a little diversity? Isn’t that what America is built on? A few Damascus Seniors provide their thoughts on this topic. When asked about their reactions to Trump trying to get rid of DEI programs, anonymous student “A” states, “My first reaction is ‘why?’ Is it negatively impacting our economy or something? Is it negatively impacting the workforce or jobs? I find no logic in it. Unfortunately, in our society, it is hard for certain ethnicities and genders to enter fields because historically, some workplaces are male-dominated, etc.” Anonymous student “B” adds, “I think that’s disgusting. I see no problem with DEI. Many places take qualifications into consideration. Half of his cabinet picks are DEI if he wants to go by those standards.” So what about DEI itself? Is it really necessary? Student A links European standards to why “people of different colors, sexual orientations, are at the bottom of the hierarchy. People should not be barred from certain workplaces due to their ethnicities. There are some cases where people were chosen for diversity over merit, but these people were able to get a good opportunity.” Student B has a different take and believes that it is not “necessary but I don’t see the need in getting rid of it. Yes, people in some instances must fill their quotas of certain demographics, which in my opinion is a bit weird, but it’s not hurting anybody. There are still opportunities for all people.” He also states that America was founded on diversity, and we have  “a wide range of demographics from a wide range of counties. Why shouldn’t our workforce reflect that?

Not much is known about what will happen next, but many companies have already purged their diversity policies. Instead of trying to get rid of diversity, why doesn’t the government focus on policies that increase opportunities, jobs, workplace safety, education, and support programs? Perhaps the government should be focusing on the economy and struggling Americans who can’t find houses to live in or Americans losing their jobs due to the suggestions of unelected bureaucrats instead of a minuscule issue like DEI programs.