Understand the DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) movements in the U.S. through an Intersectionality lens.
by Zhou Fang, Intersectional Group
The DEI movements in the U.S. are deeply intertwined with the country's history of slavery and colonization. From the very beginning, the U.S. was established with systemic racism, discrimination, and inequalities. With the Civil Rights Movement, Affirmative Action, and Workplace Diversity in the 20th century; then in the 21st century, Corporate Social Responsibility, the #MeToo movement, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movements, along with policy and legislative changes, we have seen progress and victories made in the efforts of making the U.S. more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
However, all the hard-fought wins were achieved not without hard-hit setbacks. Most notably, the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, the attacks on Affirmative Action, the legal challenges against LGBTQ+ communities, etc. In January, 2025, challenges to the DEI movements hit an all-time-high as a new administration tries to remove DEI programming on the federal level all together. Communities across the nation are asking hard questions such as "Where do we go from here?" "Are diverse voices being silenced?" "Is this country spiraling into a regression?" Today, I want to take the opportunity and talk about Why DEI in the U.S. Hardly Had a Chance to Succeed, through an Intersectionality lens, as well as offering ways to possibly bring the DEI movements back on track.
Many DEI movements were and have been reactive, or passively made happen. It is hard to foresee what is coming or/and what is being taken away. To provide an analogy, preventative medicine is not as popular or exciting as general surgery, cancer research, or pediatrics. "Why treat a body when there is no visible/felt problem?" The limited ability to predict or take preemptive measures to prevent issues to happen, or the tendency of being "too comfortable" or "it won't happen here (the U.S.)" or "complacent", is one of the reasons that we are reactive, instead of proactive or responsive, to things that can hinder or damage the DEI movements. The suggested solution? Start to look at history and the history of humanity as a continuum, not isolated events. "There is nothing new happen under the sun." - An old Chinese saying that encourages us to learn from history and the lessons from the past.
Many DEI movements took the "either/or" route, not the "things are interconnected" route. For example, when we see an issue that is about gender - i.e., the gender pay gap, we tend to only look at "how much men make" vs. "how much women make". While in reality, the gender pay gap is also connected to age, education, socioeconomic status, ability status, ethnicity/race, etc. The whole gender pay gap phenomenon is a display of multiple interconnected issues playing out at the same time. Not having the skillset to look at DEI-related matters intersectionally, oftentimes can hurt the movements. The suggested solution? Start to analyze ongoing DEI-related matters through an Intersectionality lens.
Many DEI movements did not have leadership buy-in. DEI movements, oftentimes, are employee-led, or developed from grassroots movements. While passion and enthusiasm can have meaningful and lasting impacts, without continuous funding and resources, these movements can be stopped or interrupted suddenly which can result in devastation. The suggested solution? Get leadership buy-in. Better yet, find creative and innovative ways to create/promote leaders who are committed to DEI movements.
Many DEI movements lack proper data support. Conventional data collections focus on one or two identities (i.e., gender, race). It is oftentimes impossible to collect data that is reflective and representative of communities' complex reality. For example, to study the causes of maternal deaths at birth, it is imperative to look at the deceased's race, age, medical history, etc. Colorblindness is harmful when it comes to understanding maternal deaths. The suggested solution? Implement data collection methods that capture the complexity of intersectional identities. It can help identify specific areas where interventions are critically needed.
Many DEI movements did not explicitly call out the root causes of most issues in the U.S.: White Supremacy, Colonialism, Racism, Xenophobia, etc. We cannot cure or heal ourselves and others without looking at the problems in the eye, and say, "I see you, I recognize you, I am going to face you, and fight you courageously." When we talk about Intersectionality, we are not only talking about the pragmatic aspects of it, we are also talking about courage, curiosity, empathy, intentionality, and compassion this framework invites us to practice. The suggested solution? Only by calling out the -isms and -phobias out loud and unlearning them without shame or judgment, we can create and enjoy a world that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, hopeful, joyous, and just.
The bottom line is, the DEI movements are having a hard time. At the same time, 2025 is not the end of them. With Intersectionality, we can move toward a more just future for all.
Additional reading:
Want to learn more about all things intersectionality? Please subscribe to our newsletter. I also welcome questions and discussions on 1-1 intersectionality coaching.
Compassionately,
Zhou Fang (方舟)
Comments