After 25 years of dominance DEI – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion – seems finally to be on its way out. Why is this a good thing?
Hi, I’m Rex Rogers and this is episode #190 of Discerning What Is Best, a podcast applying unchanging biblical principles in a rapidly changing world, and a Christian worldview to current issues and everyday life.
DEI, “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” is now Dead On Arrival, or at least Dead Man Walking.
“Diversity and inclusion,” were first used politically in the 1990s. The focus was initially on representation—ensuring more women and minorities were included. This was followed by the addition of “equity” in the 2010s. The Black Lives Matter movement accelerated the use of the term equity regarding what they considered systemic racism in the 2020s in the woke explosion following in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody.
Remarkably quickly, DEI was promoted, adopted, and then used as a bludgeon to virtually take over American culture, inculcating socialist, Marxist race and gender categories in the minds of impressionable school children, demanding, or forcing by threat of canceling, adults in education, business, government, even the military to accept these freedom-destroying categories. Then these ideas were marketed not just with religious zeal but in essence as a new religion designed to displace Judeo-Christian values and Christianity. Not everyone pro-DEI was or is anti-Christian, but the philosophic foundation of DEI is indeed built upon anti-Christian values.
One enormous problem with DEI is that it subjugates or abolishes merit or meritocracy in favor of discrimination based upon race, ethnicity, or gender, all in the name of something made up called “inclusion” and something damaging called “equity” – not equality before the law or equality of opportunity, but equity of result, meaning leveling, sameness in the name of fairness and racial justice. Along with this, many proponents of DEI demonstrated not freedom of choice but a willingness to use authority to force acceptance of their views.
DEI destroys a key part of the American Dream – equal opportunity for all, meaning the freedom and chance of advancement based upon one’s talent and work.
DEI displaced this in favor of race or gender quotas and advancement as a matter of entitlement or restitution for society’s past sins like pre-Civil War slavery.
But this equality to equity switch is deceptive and dangerous. Equality of condition or playing field says, “It’s up to you.” Equity says, “It’s up to the government or some other authority to make something happen for you.” In other words, if necessary, resources will be redistributed based upon the left’s vision of fairness.
With warp speed, DEI became the religion of record for much of American education. DEI categories, including gender fluidity, are being promulgated daily in many public institutions of learning, not as theory but as established narrative.
Yet all the while DEI is a failed and dangerous un-democratic philosophy that does not improve education achievement for anyone, including minorities.
“There is something curious about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)…Modern political ideologies, such as socialism and fascism, have been understood as secularized versions of Christianity for a long time, at least since the French Revolution. The question is, do DEI statements clothe Christian concepts in secular garb? The short answer is Yes.”
“DEI is The Doctrine That Ate America. If it is not stopped, DEI will supplant the country’s Judeo-Christian value system and push America farther down the road of decline.”
Lest I be misunderstood, I am not speaking here against working for a better America that improves opportunities for all. I am not speaking against anyone because of their differences. I am not speaking against anyone, including those who make sexual preference choices with which I morally disagree. For example, “If someone is gay, straight, trans, black, white, brown, male, female, faith-based, or atheist. If that person is truly qualified for a job based on merit and experience alone, they should get it.”
This is common sense. This is a free, open, pluralistic society. This is a color-blind society as argued eloquently by Martin Luther King, Jr. Until the last twenty years, this was America.
But now DEI’s juggernaut has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society, discouraging recruits to join the military, displacing incentive with disincentive in the workforce, coopting professional training with DEI seminars, and undermining workforce effectiveness and morale, as witnessed among fire departments in Los Angeles County that were decimated by DEI baloney and budget cuts, rather than reinforced by firefighting training.
In my view, DEI does not help racial minorities or any other so-labeled under-represented group. Rather, it replaces your freedom with someone else’s power, removing individual choice and establishing government or other authority. Meritocracy does the opposite.
Meritocracy promotes excellence, advances civilization and culture. Even if inadvertently or unintentionally, still, DEI promotes mediocrity, denigrates civilization and culture. Meritocracy promotes independence and freedom. DEI promotes dependence and constraints.
In January barely a week into his second administration, President “Trump went about systematically dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion practices throughout the vast federal bureaucracy, federal contractors, and receivers of federal grants.”
“Trump signed a second anti-DEI executive order, ‘Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing”…The following day, Trump signed a third executive order, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.’”
“The second executive order, No. 24, laid out in detail what the departments and agencies needed to do to expel DEI. Mainly, they would have coordinate with the Office of Management and Budget, the attorney general, and the director of the Office of Personnel Management as they ceased all DEI activity.”
“The executive order, for example, called on the bureaucracy to take the following actions: ‘Terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and ‘environmental justice’ offices and positions (including but not limited to ‘Chief Diversity Officer’ positions); all ‘equity action plans,’ ‘equity’ actions, initiatives, or programs, ‘equity-related’ grants or contracts; and all DEI or DEIA performance requirements for employees, contractors, or grantees.”
These DEI executive orders, along with others stating the federal government will recognize only two biological genders, male and female, and still others banning trans individuals from the military and athletics are, to put it mildly, extensive, transformational, draw a line-in-the-sand actions.
Some consider these actions lacking compassion or hateful or discriminatory or fascist, but none of these changes declare anything but what American society and culture considered normal, reasonable, moral, and common sense just since my days as a youth. None of these actions punish people but only state their sexual proclivities will no longer be the standard by which the rest of society must operate. They just will not be able to leverage their choices for advantage against others, for placement in the U.S. military, or for cheating in athletic events while endangering girls and women.
Will the decimation of DEI in government contribute to similar changes in business? Yes, it’s already begun. Corporations finally have cover to do what they know is good and wise for their customers and company without someone suing them or calling them racist or haters.
Walmart, McDonald’s, Ford, Harley-Davison and John Deere, now Target, are among the well-known consumer brands that reduced or phased out their DEI commitments in recent months. Others like Tractor Supply announced they will no longer conduct political cause related marketing initiatives, including Pride Month.
Will the end of DEI mean a setback for Blacks, minorities, and women? No, not if companies and American culture advance the ideals that made the country thrive in the first place: free enterprise, merit and work ethic, liberty and justice for all, rule of law blindly applied, opportunity for all.
“True diversity comes through the practice of nondiscrimination, outreach, and compliance with existing civil rights law and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Honoring the First Amendment freedoms of speech and religion can and should result in diversity of thought and goodwill among diverse groups of people. Institutions can and should abide by the First Amendment.”
DEI is now DOA in the federal government and U.S. military. It’s now up to non-governmental and private agencies, including churches, to provide open doors for all who wish to work.
Well, we’ll see you again soon. This podcast is about Discerning What Is Best. If you find this thought-provoking and helpful, follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Download an episode for your friends. For more Christian commentary, check my website, r-e-x-m as in Martin, that’s rexmrogers.com. Or check my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers for more podcasts and video.
And remember, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm.
© Rex M. Rogers – All Rights Reserved, 2025
*This podcast blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact me or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com/ or my YouTube channel @DrRexRogers, or connect with me at www.linkedin.com/in/rexmrogers or https://x.com/RexMRogers.