Committed to Inclusion

The United States is a very diverse country and has always prided itself in that diversity. Many large cities reflect multicultural, multiracial and pluralistic communities which include immigrant from all over the world. There was a time when the US prided itself on being welcoming to immigrants and being a place where the world is reflected in languages and cultural diversity present in many cities and communities. 

According to www.cia.gov, the current population of the United States is 341,963,408 persons. Of that number, the country has a diverse racial/ethnic presence which is predominantly White (White 61.6%, Black or African American 12.4%, Asian 6%, Indigenous and Alaska native 1.1%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2%, other 8.4%, two or more races 10.2%). 

Religious diversity is present, yet the population is predominantly Christian with the data showing: Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah’s Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don’t know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.) 

Age, gender, language, ability, sexual orientation are a few of the additional identifiers that speak to diversity in the workplace and in society. In each of these categories there is a group that holds privilege where others are marginalized. Historically, groups that hold privilege tend to have disproportionately more access to opportunities. Privilege, especially white male privilege has prioritized the presence of that group in positions of leadership, education, organizations, and even access to wealth generation living behind other groups who experience discrimination as a result of privilege which is given and not earned.  

The advent of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs was seen as a solution to combatting privilege while promoting fairness and access for historically marginalized groups. With the wide and widening gap in demographic data, the investment in DEI programs has ensured that qualified applicants from marginalized communities are represented in applicant pools and within key positions in organizations. The presence of such programs have resulted in intentional recruitment beyond the status quo or those who have insider knowledge to job openings. While DEI programs did not necessarily protect women and persons of color from harassment or accusations, these programs opened new possibilities for leaders from groups that traditionally were ignored or pushed aside as not having the ability to be effective leaders. 

On January 20, 2025, mere hours after his inauguration, the 47th president of the United States signed an Executive Order “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” The purpose states: The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military. The labelling of government DEI programs as illegal and immoral implies that these commitments to inclusion are illegal and attempts to be inclusive of all persons are immoral. 

The purpose and policy of the Executive Order concludes: “Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect, and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.” The irony of this last sentence is that DEI programs were devised to ensure that every person was treated with equal dignity and respect. A system that promotes access to some and not to all denies equal dignity and respect which is the current state of affairs in the United States government and is the rhetoric of the current president. The assumption that DEI programs provided access to individuals who were unqualified or under qualified for the jobs they were given is disrespectful and diminishes the abilities of historically underrepresented groups. Such an assumption is biased and discriminatory in tone and scope. 

The implementation of this Executive Order which applies to the government has spilled over into the private sector, as organizations clamber to roll back their DEI programs to appease this problematic and discriminatory approach to hiring and supporting employees in the workplace. These companies have been swift to dismiss DEI staff and rescind the policies and programs that created inclusive workplaces while reducing discriminatory practices. The swift responses point to a lack of commitment to the very people who were covered by these programs, employees who still work in these companies. 

DEI programs reflect a commitment to justice and fairness, a rejection of the status quo that ensures a few get ahead while the masses get left behind. Companies that continue to provide DEI programs are to be applauded for their ongoing commitment to justice and fairness. They are to be commended for their courageous response to ensuring that their workplaces are inclusive and welcoming. The church has to continue to be advocates for justice and for the inclusion of all persons who are made in the image of the Divine as we continue to seek a just world for all.