Volume XXIII, Number 4 (Issue 1113) | January 27, 2025
A Different Take on DEI
I grew up in an era that saw many of the seminal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. It was the time of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Freedom Riders, the assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and similar civil rights leaders and activists, the March from Selma to Montgomery, the Watts Riots, and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Because of some of the decisions my parents and others made, many of my childhood experiences centered in and around an all-white, middle-class suburban neighborhood in the deep south where I attended public schools that were nominally integrated if they were integrated at all. As a consequence, the only people of color I knew personally were our housekeeper, Rena, and her family. That said, we thought of Rena and her family as extended family, joining as they did in many of our family’s celebrations and gatherings.
That season in our nation’s history is also the period when DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) mandates got their start. Jump ahead six decades to today and we know that various business and educational interests, the courts, and now due to an Executive Order from President Trump in the first days of his second term, most DEI initiatives are being eviscerated to be replaced by what are described as merit-based systems.
Personally, I am a firm believer in and unabashed advocate for merit-based concepts. In my experience other systems, particularly those that are biased in favor of statistical quotas or seniority, are flawed since their basic designs risk putting those who are poorly or marginally qualified in roles where their decisions and actions can produce genuine harm. That said, while I favor merit-based models, I also believe in the value in and need for diversity of opinion. As I have stated numerous times, there is no monopoly on good ideas. Furthermore, differing points of view, when aired and afforded due respect, yield more holistic and robust solutions than do those decisions that are top-down, command and control. An additional benefit of multiple points of view and varied voices is increased and widespread buy-in.
Just as I believe in the value of diversity of opinion, I also subscribe to the need for equality of opportunity. That goes double when it comes to educational initiatives. Every child, regardless of ability or circumstance, deserves a quality education. Initiatives that seek to undermine that principle fly in the face of one of the fundamental rights that have contributed so much to our country’s enduring success. Again, the goal must be equality of opportunity – not equal outcomes.
As for the “I” (Inclusion) in the traditional DEI, our history repeatedly demonstrates that we eventually get there. That is, we learn and in due course celebrate people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and faiths. The best illustration of that is when we embrace large elements of their cultures including their festivals. It is that ability to include others rather than demand they assimilate into our models that give rise to the remarkable melting pot that is America.
In short, when you and I are able to understand, appreciate, and learn from others – especially those who are not like us – we are all enriched. Diversity of thought, equality of opportunity, and the intentional inclusion of different traditions are not merely nice theories applicable to a former day, they are and must remain principles that we cherish and protect today and far into the future. I say that knowing I am better for the things I have learned from those I have met and the things I have witnessed and experienced!
Soli Deo Gloria
“The eye can’t say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ The head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ In fact, it is just the opposite. The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are the ones we can’t do without. The parts that we think are less important we treat with special honor.” 1 Corinthians 12: 21-23a
J. Keith Hughey
Mobile: (210)260-0955
E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com
Website: www.jkeithhughey.com
Transforming Potential into Unmatched Performance
Copyright 2025 by J. Keith Hughey. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for reproduction and redistribution of this essay as provided under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Recent issues of Musings may be found at www.jkeithhughey.com. Your comments are always welcome.