June 30th 2023.
During the summer of 2020, the terms Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) were unavoidable. Three years later, however, its popularity has waned and many on the right are going as far as to label it "woke" politics. At the BLACK ENTERPRISE Chief Diversity Officer Summit and Honors, Fidelity Investments Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion Wendy John and Merck's Vice President of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence Celeste Warren spoke with Black Enterprise Editor-in-Chief Derek Dingle about the current state of DEI.
Dingle began the panel by asking John how the Supreme Court's elimination of affirmative action programs at colleges and universities would affect corporate DEI programs. John explained that the decision could have a ripple effect, causing many companies to downsize their DEI offices or to add additional work to the scope of DEI leaders. She also noted that titles of DEI executives were already changing as some companies considered layoffs late last year.
Warren discussed how people often confuse affirmative action with giving opportunities to people who are unqualified, inferior, or untrained. She argued that it is actually about ensuring people of different backgrounds have equal employment opportunities. Warren also expressed her frustration with the fact that many people don't have the proper information and use the term "affirmative action" as a buzzword to lump everyone together.
In the wake of the George Floyd protests, many tech companies, fast food restaurants, and hardware stores announced DEI initiatives. Unfortunately, some have pulled back on DEI initiatives, laying off staff and canceling programs. Furthermore, many companies that created DEI initiatives didn't hire people of color for those roles. A survey showed that Black employees only made up 3.8% of chief diversity officers overall, while white employees accounted for 76%.
The panel then moved on to other topics, such as how external pressures affect chief diversity officers' decisions and how to combat burnout while on the job. Warren shared that attacks on reproductive and transgender rights by Southern states had made her job more difficult. She encouraged those in the role to develop a strong relationship with the policy organization in order to stay informed and educate others. John added that as a chief diversity officer, she had to stay up to date with the news and how quickly things can change during a news cycle.
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