DEI is not about favoritism; it’s about fairness

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“It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned.”

That quote is from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Its message rings ever true as we close out the month of his birth while absorbing the multitude of executive orders enacted by a newly inaugurated President Donald Trump.

Several of Trump’s actions during the first 48 hours of his second term seek to dismantle decades of progress toward diversity, equity and inclusion — the very principles that were central to King’s vision and that culminated in the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which sought to finally deliver on the promise of fairness, justice and equality for all citizens.

The harsh titles of two of Trump’s executive orders sum up how the 47th president feels about the previous progress that had been made: “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” (signed on Jan. 20 — MLK Day) and “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” (signed on Jan. 21).

This administration seeks to eliminate what the president refers to in the Jan. 21 order as “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences.”

The executive orders conflate efforts to level the playing field with discriminatory practices. This perspective disregards the historical and systemic barriers that have long disadvantaged underrepresented and marginalized groups in accessing education, housing and advanced employment opportunities. DEI programs, by their very nature, aim to address these disparities by ensuring that talent, regardless of background, is given equitable opportunity to thrive — not by displacing merit, but by expanding the lens through which merit is evaluated.

Trump frames his opposition to DEI programs through a flawed and ahistorical interpretation of color blindness, misrepresenting King’s legacy and vision in the process. While King stated, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” his words do not advocate for color blindness. Instead, they highlight the need for color consciousness to address historical injustices and systemic failures that continue to shape inequality in America, as the most recent statistics regarding racial disparities continue to bear out.

Colorblindness has become a convenient excuse for both misdirected outrage over perceived reverse discrimination as well as a growing weariness toward the magnitude of the work still required. It perpetuates the harmful illusion of a “mission accomplished,” despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

The Jan. 21 order’s characterization of DEI as a “pernicious identity-based spoils system” misrepresents the reality of systemic inequities. Even with initiatives in place, research shows that 160 years since the end of slavery and 62 years since King’s speech, racial disparities still exist when it comes to wealth, education, employment, housing, mobility, health, rates of incarceration and in other areas. White people prevail in wages among almost every racial group in every U.S. state, according to the Department of Labor’s own data.

Addressing these barriers is not about granting favoritism; it is about ensuring fairness. DEI programs equip organizations with the tools and frameworks necessary to break down these obstacles in alignment with both the spirit and the letter of the U.S. Constitution and existing civil rights laws.

Trump makes a weak attempt to position his decrees as championing civil rights laws by stating in the Jan. 21 executive order: “Hardworking Americans who deserve a shot at the American dream should not be stigmatized, demeaned, or shut out of opportunities because of their race or sex.” Yet, he and opponents of DEI don’t seem to want to acknowledge that this is precisely what this attack has done to the hardworking Americans who have been demeaned and stigmatized as unqualified and undeserving of the positions they earned with the assistance of DEI initiatives that merely required broadening the prospective pool of candidates and ensuring equality of opportunity — consistent with the law.

While the vision of a colorblind society, as inspired by King’s dream, is undoubtedly aspirational, it is also contingent on society actively confronting and dismantling inequality. Without intentional action to address systemic barriers, his children — and all children — may continue to face discrimination and limitations based on race, gender or disabilities.

Despite these recent executive orders dismantling DEI initiatives, we can uphold the ideals of King’s dream as we head into Black History Month by continuing to learn about systemic racism, social justice and civil rights history. We can also use our voices and platforms to call out discrimination and inequities, even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. That’s what King did and that’s what he’d want us all to do, too.

Yohuru Williams is a distinguished university chair, history professor, and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas. Sheree R. Curry is an adjunct faculty member at St. Thomas and co-president of the National Association of Black Journalists Minnesota (NABJ-MN).