A people leader explains how to push past the 'anti-DEI' narrative

Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are under fire as of late, but those in charge of them are far from turning their back on the movement.  

Since 2022, 40 anti-DEI bills have been introduced targeting higher education institutions, as well as practices like mandatory DEI training for employees and required diversity statements in hiring and office programming. The negative sentiment around DEI has left many people leaders questioning what the future of inclusion initiatives looks like. 

"Sometimes you feel like you're pushing a boulder up the side of a hill," says Karla Wagner, chief people officer at Fenton, a public relations firm focused on social change. "But so many powerful voices in this space are imploring us not to believe the hype. They remind us that there's still work to do and to continue to speak life into DEI work, despite the travesties we're seeing." 

Read more: Why the IT industry doesn't believe in the 'anti-DEI' movement

The anti-DEI movement may have started within higher education, but its reach is steadily impacting other sectors of the workforce, too. Many major Wall Street institutions such as Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and BNYMellon have overhauled their DEI programs, opening them up to white and male participants, following criticism from political leaders and advice from their legal teams.  

Strides to combat the rising backlash against DEI have also been taken, however. Earlier this week, the "Stop WOKE" act, a Florida law pushed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis that limits diversity and race-based discussions in private workplaces, was ruled unconstitutional by a federal court of appeals. 

"This work never ends," Wagner says. "We may have to change some of the nomenclature, but we still have to advance our objectives and there's ways that organizations can do that." 

Wagner recently spoke to EBN about her experience as a people leader of color navigating the recent DEI landscape and what employers can do to not only keep their efforts on track, but to support their employees.

How has the recent stance against DEI affected you both personally and professionally?
It's tough, but it's not unexpected. In 2020, when everyone was tripping over themselves to make these big, bold proclamations about making goals and initiatives and throwing more money at DEI — it was wonderful to see. But folks that have been in this work for a long time knew that it wasn't something that was going to be sustained. After the George Floyd tragedy,  I remember saying, "When this becomes smaller and smaller in our rearview mirror, things are going to change, so don't be distracted by these bright and shiny objects intended to placate us." And now we're seeing it. So while it is disheartening, there are still so many other people like me that have been doing this work for their career, and it strengthens my resolve to know that folks know how important it is, hence the attack on DEI. We just have to dig in harder and strengthen our goals, our aspirations and our commitment to DEI.

What's fueling  the movement against DEI, in your opinion?
It stems  from politics. Right now we're comfortable saying the parts that were never said out loud — it's in our everyday lexicon. Leaders like Ron DeSantis are not ashamed of taking these really bold, horrific actions, and as the miseducation of the population grows, we're going to eradicate the teaching of things that are important to our culture. 

Read more: Job cuts, fleeing investors: How anti-DEI lawsuits take a toll on targets

It also comes down to leadership and what CEOs are doing and thinking. A lot of people are staying silent right now even though they were jumping out in front to sign pledges in 2020.  We need some strategic leadership from some of these professionals and organizations because the future of DEI is a shared responsibility. And while it is really unfortunate how we got here, the better question is: What are we going to do about it? Are we going to just accept that DEI is dead, or are we going to strengthen our resolve and be sure that we're still advancing the things that are mission critical to organizations? 

Why is it important to the sustainability of organizations to keep pushing against legislation that threatens DEI?
If you take your eye off the ball and you're not really committed to having a diverse, inclusive, supportive workforce, how will your organization live? How will you thrive? Regardless of what the naysayers are saying, we live in a global society — we are not in a homogenous society. So despite the narrative, you can't take your eye off of the importance of an environment that allows people to be themselves and bring the kind of thoughts and lived experiences that can help inform the guidance strategies you offer to your clients. It certainly isn't a time for the faint of heart, but leaders like Dr. King didn't give his life for us to say it's too hard. We have to leave this landscape a better place for the next generation of leaders behind us. 

What advice would you give other people leaders like yourself who may be feeling discouraged?
We can't give up the fight. We've come so far — DEI is not only a value that we live every day, it's your competitive advantage. How we apply the DEI lens to everything shapes how we show up in the world. There's still so much more that we have to do and we can't let these recent attacks undo the work we've done. Never lose sight of what our goal is, because it's that tenacity, that commitment to this long-term that will make real change. If this is a marathon, we're just in mile 13; we still have a long way to go, so surround yourselves with like-minded people or seek out the safe spaces that can nourish and fill us up when we're running on empty. But this is not the time to fold up our tents.