We typically view Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs through the prism of race and culture. However, there is a profound connection between DEI principles and the progress made in Special Education over the past 50 years, especially in the context of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), passed in 1975, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), passed in 1990. Expanding rights and opportunities for students with disabilities is deeply intertwined with broader shifts in thinking about inclusion and access.
1) 1 or 2 issues that are personally most vital to me in 2025.
I am personally invested in combatting the attack on DEI that is targeting policies and practices in academia and in the workplace—corporate America and government and the deliberate misrepresentation that DEI and meritocracy are dichotomous. When ENRON failed, the right was not blamed for the good old boy, tap on the shoulder, it’s not what you know but who you know selection process. But DEI is blame for a door that fell off a plane and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
My second issue is the voices on the far right and the far left drowning out the voices of the centrist and moderate on both the left and the right. Both the extremists talk at each other, not with each other. The far right refers to anything left of center as Marxist; and the far left refers to anything right of center as fascist.
Last week, the New York Times published a story, headlined: “D.E.I. on the Ropes Ahead of the Next Trump Era: Corporate policies concerning diversity, equity and inclusion, already under pressure from conservatives, are facing greater threats from allies of the president-elect.”
What the Times and other media outlets are largely neglecting to report is that far more corporations are standing strong on their DEI initiatives than the handful that are caving to pressure ahead of the next Trump era.
Deborah Levine requested that I join her group on Black and Jewish Dialogue in 2021. Given today’s atmosphere, dialogue is crucial. Levine is the editor-in-chief of the American Diversity Report (ADR). She is a Holocaust documentarian (Courter, 2023; Levine, Untold Stories of a World War II Liberator, 2023), whom I am sure when she launched ADR never anticipated that diversity and DEI would be equated with anti-Semitism. Yet the cry has been aimed at academia and business (Cohen, 2023; Notheis, 2024) I am baffled by the cry to silence and dismantle DEI.
Through my DEI journey and practice since 1991 in corporate America, DEI has been inclusive and provides respect and dignity to all across religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, physical and mental ability, and other demographics. I will provide some examples later in the article.
There has been significant progress in diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) goals within the US. Data from the Pew Research Center showed that 61% of workers have experienced company policies that ensure fairness in hiring, pay, or promotions. This is important given that DEI helps empower individuals and promotes the reduction of harmful bias against race, gender, sexuality, and religion.
However, one aspect of DEI that gets left behind is concerned with weight. Reports showed that inclusivity initiatives fail to consider plus-size workers, who are often stereotyped as lazy and less competent. Additionally, many workplaces are still not accommodating to plus-size individuals, who have stricter dress codes and limited healthcare benefits.
In our fast-paced world where innovation is the driving force, businesses must recognize the undeniable value of diversity in the workplace. As a tech executive with two decades of experience navigating the corporate ladder, I’ve come to understand that diversity isn’t just about representation—it’s about fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and empowerment. At Regpack, we’ve embraced this philosophy, and the results speak for themselves.
A Journey through Tech and Inspiration
My journey in the tech industry began with a single step, fueled by my passion for technology’s power to transform lives. Throughout my career, I’ve encountered numerous challenges, but what kept me motivated were the stories of those who broke barriers and thought outside the box. Leaders who had victories resulting from their diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives inspired me to pave the way for my own success.
The last few years seem to have been challenging for many people, myself included. Last year, I had the privilege to take a bit of a sabbatical. Even though I found it difficult to fully pull myself away from my work, I was removed enough that when Deborah Levine, Editor in Chief for this publication, asked the Advisory Council members to write on upcoming trends, I felt a little out of touch. I decided I needed to catch up a bit, and I started my research. Much to my dismay, I felt like the more things changed, the more they remained the same. I wasn’t seeing much different than what colleagues and I talked about over 20 years ago. People were still focused on hiring and attraction and leadership development. Some spoke of developing business cases and strategies around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—or whatever form it’s currently taking.
Frankly, I had hoped we had a lot of this figured out by now.
Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) becomes a business necessity rather than a choice. Organizations – including businesses, non-profit organizations, colleges and universitieshave to reconsider that U.S. is projected to become a majority-minority nation for the first time in 2043 and by 2060, 57 percent of the U.S. population will consist of racially ethnic minorities.1 This change towards a more diverse population will have substantial impact on the workforce and how organizations rethink its processes to manage opportunities and challenges related to DE&I.
In fact, there is no shortage of suggestions to create inclusive environments. However, it is crucial to think about the role and positioning of DE&I within an organization’s structure. The question here is whether organizations consider DE&I a HR policy, a management-led initiative, an objective, a trend—or a mixture of all four? Some organizations still struggle to properly define DE&I, which impact the development of appropriate DE&I initiatives to empower and engage underrepresented groups. Making progress on that front requires a deep understanding of the concerns, experiences, and perspectives of people with different ethnicities, nationalities, educational backgrounds, sexual orientation, religion, and gender.
HEALTH EQUITY AND HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES SPOTLIGHTED IN AMERICAN DIVERSITY REPORT
New Edition Includes Articles, Podcasts, Poems
CHATTANOOGA, TN – Deborah Levine Enterprises LLC today announced the latest issuance of the American Diversity Report (ADR), an award-winning digital multi-media platform containing the latest news, educational resources and related information highlighting key issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the public arena. The theme of the October edition is health, healthcare and equity.
“Our economy is volatile, and an uncertain political environment surrounds the health and wellbeing of Americans,” says Deborah Levine, Editor-in-Chief of ADR and an award-winning author of 15 books. “The diversity of our situation is evident as Covid disproportionally impacted people of color per new infections and higher death rates, as well as glaring disparities in affordable healthcare coverage.”
“This new edition of the American Diversity Report serves as a valuable public resource on critically important topics of DEI during these turbulent times,” adds Levine, who is also a columnist for the Times Free Press newspaper of Chattanooga and was named a “Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazer” in 2019 by ForbesMagazine. “We are all linked by our common humanity and concern for our own the health, in addition to the health, wellbeing and healthcare of our families, colleagues and friends – especially as the United States becomes increasingly more diverse in all aspects of public and private life.”
In addition to the timely articles listed below, the October edition also includes poetry and podcast interviews. The featured articles by ADR advisors and contributors include the following:
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Deborah Levine is a management consultant, speaker and leading diversity change agent with 33-years of experience. The inventor of the Matrix Model Management System of neuro-communication, she has received the Champion of Diversity Award from DiversityBusiness.com, the Excellence Award from the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, and the Chattanooga Award for Management Consulting.
Levine’s published articles span decades in journals and magazines such as, The American Journal of Community Psychology, Journal of Public Management & Social Policy, The Bermudian Magazine, and The Harvard Divinity School Bulletin. She’s also a syndicated writer for The Good Men Project, a former blogger for The Huffington Post, and has been featured on C-SPAN Book TV. Further information is available online at https://deborahlevine.com/
After the killing of George Floyd, Equity Rising, a group of Black professionals, came together to address social justice and equity in the government and in corporations. They believed that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expertise is essential to the total sustainability strategy of corporationsand, therefore, is an essential boardroom function. The DEI expertise brings both functional and demographic diversification of board members.This article contends that since traditionally the DEI function has been populated primarily by people of color and women, DEI expertise will add to the demographic diversification of the board. With the increase in demographic diversity for other functional board positions, DEI experts will aide in establishing a critical mass of women and people of color in the boardroom.