Somehow, diversity, equity and inclusion is under attack.
Pushed by a small but very vocal group of right-wing conservatives, attacks on DEI have escalated over recent months as they have been embraced by powerful Republican politicians. And more than a few have been directed at public higher education.
In Texas, the Republican-led Legislature voted in late May to ban offices, programs and initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion at Texas public colleges and universities. Gov. Greg Abbott, a loud DEI detractor, signed it in June.
Also in May, Florida governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis signed a sweeping anti-DEI bill that bars Florida public colleges and universities from spending dollars on DEI programs and bans general education courses with curriculums that teach “identity politics” or critical race theory.
Public higher education isn’t the only DEI and so-called “woke culture” battleground.
DeSantis has said that if elected president, he will rescind all DEI initiatives in place in the military on his first day in office. In stark contrast, President Biden signed a 2021 Executive Order that advanced DEI in the federal government.
Companies and corporations are also feeling pressure for DEI initiatives—which is surprising since corporate America has invested in DEI programs to minimize social inequity and better reflect the values of employees and consumers. Companies like Mastercard, Verizon and Citibank are all on Forbes’ April list of America’s best employers for diversity.
Still, Bud Light, Kohl’s, Target and even Chik-Fil-A have become targets of the right over those companies’ DEI policies.
On this episode of The Voice podcast, we’ll talk about DEI and an initiative UUP launched in 2022 to expand DEI efforts on SUNY campuses and create a DEI infrastructure within our union.
Our guests are UUP statewide Vice President for Professionals Carolyn Kube and Tiffany Richards, a DEI stragetist with Tangible Development, a DEI consulting firm based in Latham, Albany County. UUP has been working with Tangible on DEI endeavors since 2022, part of a $50,000 AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute grant.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.