The last time I checked, the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America still ended with the words “… liberty and justice for all” and the words on the Statue of Liberty plaque still were “…a beacon of hope and opportunity for immigrants”. These sentiments are at the heart of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work. Not only are these statements at the heart and soul of DEI work, in fact, DEI explicitly expands the Statue of Liberty plaque message “…beacon of hope and opportunity” to citizens of the United States of American as well.
Ignorance is a terrible thing. It is essential that people do their research and look at many different perspectives to expand and verify their understanding. This process is especially important concerning topics and philosophies about which we may have less familiarity. The lack of understanding about DEI, combined with the almost daily vilification of it by the current administration occupying the White House is deeply concerning to those who understand that being against DEI is being against basic principles of the United States of America upon which it is supposed to stand. Admittedly, not always perfect, the USA was, at the end of the day, striving to actualize liberty, justice, and opportunities for all. These principles are at the heart of DEI work.
There is evidence in the USA to inspire hope that these sacred principles are becoming more integrated into everyday life. However, the basis for this hope is being challenged daily by behaviors, false statements, and Executive Orders attempting to dismantle the laws, organizations, and institutions focused on preserving” … the State of the Union”. A most egregious example occurred on January 29, 2025, at a news conference held shortly after the tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac, when the current President Donald Trump declared to the world, without any evidence, that “…DEI was the cause of the tragic airplane crash …” that took sixty-seven lives and left zero survivors.
How can these type of statements and behaviors be tolerated in a country that professes justice for all and innocence until proven guilty?
Where is the sense of outrage from citizens of a country that is in danger of being diverted from its metaphorical “North Star”? Where is the accountability by elected government officials who took an oath to support and defend the Constitution? Where is the personal sense of responsibility to not create and/or spread lies? Does anyone care about the potential impact on hardworking people who are maliciously labeled as a “DEI hire” and whose competence may be questioned because the color of their skin (not white) or their gender (not male)? Just for the record, it is important to note that had the outcome been different, the Capitol worker who single handedly diverted the angry mob determined to harm our elected officials on January 6th would, by some, maliciously and derogatively be labeled a “DEI” hire due to the color of his skin, rather than focusing on his brilliance in an unimaginably horrid situation.
Trust is a hard thing to build, and rebuilding it is even harder. Trust is at the heart of relationships. Albert Einstein said “…that every kind of peaceful cooperation is primarily based on mutual trust”. Where is our country headed if our Congress votes for legislation that is not in alignment with liberty and justice for all, and federal employees are fired without just cause? What is the impact of unconditionally pardoning convicted criminals whom Americans witnessed attempting to take over the Capitol?
What about trying to dismantle government departments designed to protect, educate, and improve the lives of all people? It is becoming increasingly difficult to connect these types of behaviors with liberty and justice for all and making it even harder to trust.
Vilifying diversity, whether the differences are based in race, gender, physical abilities, thinking styles, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, among so many others, does not make America great -it never did, and never will.
What has made America great is the inclusion of differences, whether those differences originated inside or outside of America. Let us not forget that, except for the Native Americans, all our ancestors were diverse people, and immigrants. The contribution of immigrants to the USA has been profound. A recent study of Nobel Prizes from George Mason University identifies that between 1901 and 2024, 55 percent (749 academic awards) went to the U.S.-affiliated scholars, and 35 percent of those scholars were immigrants to the United States. This is just one example of the positive impact of immigrants. A concerted look around your daily life and a fact-based study of history will identify multitudes more.
Ignoring inequities stands in direct opposition to the American principle of liberty and justice for all. Inequity can fuel rage and diminish hope. Legislation and social justice movements that have challenged inequities and created change have made America truer to its espoused values. The false labeling and implicit support of inequities diminishes and threatens America’s greatness every day that this type of behavior continues to exist. An equally destructive force is ignoring nepotism, the practice of showing favoritism or granting advantages to relatives or close friends, also known in political arenas as giving “favors”, appointing people to government positions for which one has little to no experience, and/or firing hard working competent people to put your “own people” in.
Another disturbing trend is for some, not all, falsely demonizing inclusion as something that takes away “people’s jobs” (that never belonged to any one group), lowers competency standards, and raises the crime rate. These statements are an insult to humanity. Inclusion has been, and continues to be, an instrumental factor in creating the soul of the United States of America. A nation that once told the world to come here has been richly blessed with immeasurable gifts, abundance, and greatness. A spirit of inclusion drives America’s greatness.
The destructive force in America today is not diversity, equity, and inclusion, and/or being “woke”. The destructive force is ignorance of the fact that DEI, meaning diversity (all differences, including white men), a belief in equity (the quality of being fair)), and inclusion ( an environment where everyone feels that they are able to contribute fully, no matter what their differences), has, and will continue, to make America great.
Laura Kangas
Laura Kangas is a global organizational development consultant, workshop designer and facilitator, educator, and award-winning author. She has worked with corporations, educational institutions, not for profit organizations among others on topics including leadership, management and employee development, diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational effectiveness, and teambuilding. She is co-author of the award-winning book Diversity Training That Generates Real Change: Inclusive Approaches That Benefit Individuals, Business, and Society published by Berrett-Koehler.
