Strengthen the case for DEI

Three years ago, addressing racial justice in the United States moved firmly into the mainstream. Following the murder of George Floyd, the ongoing struggle for social justice was again laid bare, and pledges to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) began sprouting everywhere. Now, the pend...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2024-03, Vol.383 (6690), p.1395-1395
Main Author: Malcom, Shirley
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College Admission
Colleges & universities
Diversity equity & inclusion
Education
Engineering
Government Agencies
Hospitalization
Humans
Legislation
Medicine
Racial Differences
Robustness (mathematics)
Social Justice
Universities
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Summary:Three years ago, addressing racial justice in the United States moved firmly into the mainstream. Following the murder of George Floyd, the ongoing struggle for social justice was again laid bare, and pledges to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) began sprouting everywhere. Now, the pendulum is swinging back on these commitments. A backlash against DEI initiatives is rising across all sectors, especially at the state level. Last year's decision by the US Supreme Court to strike down the consideration of students' racial status in college admissions has emboldened many who oppose any advancement of DEI. Although there has been specific attention to higher education, other sectors have also been attacked. The retreat includes recent anti-DEI legislation that would affect structures, programs, practices, and curricula that aim to support success for all, including persons who have been historically excluded from or marginalized within science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Before this backlash worsens, DEI advocates, the scientific community, universities, and federal agencies need to collectively call out the dangers of setting aside DEI and come up with robust ways to demonstrate its value to society.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.adp4397