Friends, clients + media:
When families can’t afford food, food banks step in. Most people don't groan that those meals are a “special perk” since they're clearly a response to an unfair reality/moment.
The same goes for DEI. DEI isn’t about ‘special perks’—it’s about removing barriers that have kept talented people from opportunities for generations. (Just Google ‘workplace bias’ for examples.)
Programs like women’s mentoring and Black recruiting events, for example, don’t create unfair advantages—they help ensure women, who are often under-mentored (at best), receive the same guidance as their peers, and that Black professionals, who are often under-recruited (to say the least), have equal access to opportunities.
So in cancelling DEI, companies like Accenture and Amazon are returning to a world where top roles, higher pay, and opportunities are largely out of reach for many qualified people.