Caleigh Montoya, Staff Writer
With the current political choices surrounding us, many may question what is really changing in our world. DEI is one of the floating policies that is causing a lot of controversy. DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Diversity and inclusion are already well known. Diversity means a variety of people and inclusion means that we are to involve all, especially those marginalized. Equity is lesser known, but is very pertinent to today’s issues. While often confused with equality, which means treating everyone the same, equity goes the extra mile by treating everyone the same, but also providing the necessary help to anyone who may need it to achieve said equality.
DEI policies and programs are provided to advocate for the fair treatment of all people, and to ensure that those who come from historically oppressed communities are given the same opportunities as everyone else. While these policies gained more prominence under the Biden administration, DEI policies have been around for decades. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made hiring and work discrimination illegal, and this was the first step in creating programs attempting to end hidden prejudices. Since then, DEI has been trying to better our institutions.
Less than a month into his inauguration, one of President Trump’s first acts was to end all DEI initiatives. On January 20th, Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,”.
Unless you’re a white man, the ending of DEI is a scary thought. We all have something to be frightened of if our identities are being not only ignored but blatantly used against us. Solving the problem of the elimination of DEI requires a radical raise of our voices, so that this attempt of oppressed silence will not succeed.