Diversity and Inclusion Equity: Are They Separate Concepts?

In a significant move, President Trump's executive order, "Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity," has abolished government Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices and cancelled government contracts with DEI provisions or services. This decision marks a departure from the previous administration's focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The principle of equal opportunity, which includes attempts to take discriminatory factors into account in employment decisions to ensure fairness, is a crucial part of a merit-based civil service. Legitimate, legally sanctioned affirmative action is used to correct past and avoid future race, age, disability, gender, and other forms of illegal discrimination. The Supreme Court has made rulings on affirmative action in cases like Bakke, Bollinger, North Carolina State University System, and Harvard College.

However, the executive order's approach to DEI efforts has raised concerns. While it does not outlaw efforts at achieving federal workplace diversity, the implementation may lead to former DEI experts finding themselves on the outs due to arguably overzealous execution of the order. Trump's administration has required staff in these offices to be placed on administrative leave.

It's important to note that DEI offices and staff are not synonymous with efforts to improve the federal government's diversity. Improving the federal government's diversity has been a long-standing effort, particularly in agencies that focus on work overseas. The U.S. military academies are exempt from affirmative action due to their importance in reflecting the diverse complexion of America.

As an HR professional and a career civil servant, the speaker views the words in the EO regarding diversity as accurate. The principle of merit has always been a priority for the speaker. The speaker believes that the ideal of a U.S. civil service that reflects the diversity of America should be upheld.

The speaker, however, does not comment on Trump's decision to dismantle one of the previous administration's signature initiatives. Current reports discuss Argentine politics and related scandals but do not mention former DEI experts who were suddenly left destitute due to the executive order. There is no publicly available information identifying these individuals or their identities.

The Trump administration has issued a series of executive orders and presidential memos focusing on creating a merit-based America. The executive order may be overly aggressive in its approach to ending former President Biden's DEI efforts but also contains inherently positive elements that should not be overlooked. The speaker, as a proponent of fairness and equal opportunity, encourages a balanced approach to ensure a diverse and merit-based civil service.