A “DEI hire”—what is it? Election-related focus shifts to diversity programs due to remarks made by a Tennessee lawmaker.
“DEI pick,” “DEI candidate,” etc. Why the Republicans are attacking Kamala Harris.
Initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion have come under fire and scrutiny.
With the presidential election approaching, conservatives are particularly interested in talking about and asking questions about diversity, fairness, and inclusion initiatives in higher education, businesses, and their place in America. During last week’s Republican National Convention, Republicans criticized DEI projects. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee said on Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris and Kimberly Cheatle, the former director of the Secret Service, were “DEI hire(s).” Using a statement, discounting the qualifications of the two women.
The subject of what DEI is and what constitutes a “DEI hire” has come up again in light of the recent comments. Here is a look at the origins of the program and the locations of DEI projects and activities.
What is meant by DEI? When did it begin?
Organizational frameworks aimed at promoting “the fair treatment and full participation of all people,” especially those “who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination,” are referred to as diversity, equity, and inclusion.
To put it briefly, DEI programs establish an environment where people of various identities, races, and orientations are accepted, encouraged, and equipped to thrive.
Amid the country’s racial reckoning, diversity policies and programs sprung into life in 2020 and 2021. Still, these are hardly novel or avant-garde concepts.
According to the Department of Labor, equal employment laws and affirmative action in the workplace were introduced before affirmative action and equal employment laws were passed in the middle of the 1960s. Additionally, as a result of these legislation, businesses were forced to create diversity training programs aimed at assisting staff in adjusting to increasingly integrated workplaces.
What is meant by ‘DEI hire’?
In reference to efforts promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion to increase opportunities for women and people of color in the workforce and foster more welcoming organizational cultures, Burchett discussed Harris and Cheatle.
Burchett referred to Cheatle as a “DEI horror story” when he questioned him about the Secret Service’s response to the Pennsylvania assassination attempt on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Cheatle spent 27 years in the Secret Service, serving as assistant director of the office of protective operations, before being appointed director. She was previously PepsiCo’s senior director of global security.
When discussing Harris in an interview with CNN, he used similar terminology.
Prior to her election as vice president in 2020, Harris held the positions of attorney general of California from 2011 to 2017 and U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021. More than 81.2 million votes were cast for Harris and President Joe Biden, making it the largest total in American history by more than 8.6%.
Businesses retreat from DEI projects
Recently, under pressure from campaigns, Fortune 500 corporations John Deere and Tennessee retailer Tractor Supply Company reviewed their DEI programs.
Tractor Supply cut back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and objectives last month, concentrating on social, environmental, and governance issues. Customer criticism prompted the change: “We have received feedback from customers indicating that we have let them down. We have considered the feedback provided.
Following the backlash on the internet, Tractor Supply declared that it would:
Don’t send information to the Human Rights Campaign anymore
Reorient the team member engagement groups to emphasize networking, mentoring, and business assistance.
Prioritize rural America even more, emphasizing issues such as animal welfare, veterans’ causes, agricultural education, and being a nice neighbor. You should also cease supporting non-commercial events like voting campaigns and pride festivals.
Retire current DEI objectives and do away with DEI roles while maintaining a polite atmosphere.
Redraw your targets for carbon emissions and concentrate your efforts on conserving land and water.
on John Deere, the firm announced that it would review its policy and cease involvement in outside social or cultural awareness events in response to criticism on their diversity hiring goals and sponsorship of LGBTQ+ events.
On social media platform X, it stated, “Everyone at John Deere values our customers’ trust and confidence in us.”
Do DEI programs succeed?
The Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals and YourCause from Blackbaud exclusively shared the results of a new survey with USA TODAY, and it found that 96% of corporate social impact professionals in 125 major companies say DEI commitments have either increased (13%), stayed the same (83%) or stayed the same.
The poll, according to Carolyn Berkowitz, president and CEO of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals, “sends a clear signal” that public support for DEI has not decreased.
