Just days into his second term, President Donald Trump placed federal staff working on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives on paid leave—with the intent of eventually laying them all off. Workers who led DEI programs at University of Texas, University of Florida, and other higher education institutions located in states where conservative legislators eliminated DEI offices, programs, and positions have also recently lost their jobs. And then there are those workers who have lost their jobs at companies like Walmart, McDonald’s, and Meta, which have recently unraveled DEI efforts.
Amidst the dramatic saga, we too often forget that the professionals who abruptly lost their jobs are people. The overwhelming majority of these workers who have lost their jobs are Americans—and many of them are women of color. Their humanity deserves compassion and appreciation.
Media coverage about the roll back of DEI activities has…
