In 2023, a Pew Research Center survey showed that for “a majority of employed U.S. adults (56%), focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing,” with women, people of color and other demographic groups with marginalized identities voting in favor of DEI in higher numbers. In less than a month, despite broad public interest in DEI, President Trump has put an end to federal government spending on any efforts that seek to level the playing field for marginalized groups. A mandate that has been taken up by private sector companies, with little protest.
Missing from the conversation on the federal government’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and rapid rollback of DEI among some of the world’s most visible companies is the impact on people who have championed workplace equity. DEI practitioners across the country are grappling with an uncertain future.
Kim Flanery-Rye, founder of Inclusion Equals, had anticipated the shift and worked with clients in advance to prepare. “We discussed what their commitment to DEI would look like in different scenarios and how to prepare for potential impacts. We were already seeing the shifts in higher education, so the writing was on the wall. This wasn’t just theoretical; it was happening in real-time.”
And yet, despite data on the shifting landscape, practitioners feel gutted.
“It’s painful to see some of the work you and colleagues have done seemingly undone overnight,” says Katrina Jones, a senior people and culture leader.
Personal Costs of DEI Rollbacks
For many DEI consultants, the impact has been both financial and deeply personal. “Many of our clients are pausing their DEI efforts” shares Sari De, founder of Nine of Us. “A few, who either are government bodies or who have major government contracts, have broken contracts with us, citing the executive order.”
Lindsey T.H. Jackson, a Seattle based consultant, echoes these concerns: “Over the past two weeks we have seen many RFPs and leads suddenly disappear. We have also had a handful of clients come to us to abruptly stop their work.”
For practitioners who are people of color, immigrants, or members of marginalized communities, the chilling effect of these policies extends beyond financial setbacks—it becomes a personal safety issue. De candidly shares, “I am a person of color, a woman, and an immigrant. I’m worried my work will put my citizenship in jeopardy, and I am carrying my US government ID (along with my foreign passport) with me at all times—the grocery store, the school pick-up.” The heightened fear of legal persecution is leading many to reassess their personal and professional choices, weighing risk against commitment to the work.
For Flanery-Rye, the past few weeks have been a whirlwind. “I was overseas at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, when the inauguration and the flurry of executive orders came through. Personally, as a DEI and culture practitioner, a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, and a naturalized citizen through adoption, the announcements were confusing, terrifying, and gut-wrenching.”
A Divided Response: Retreat or Resistance
The executive orders have left many organizations scrambling, uncertain of the legal and financial risks associated with running programs that prioritize women, queer and trans, and BIPOC employees. Language that was seen as bold, fair, inclusive, is now seen as legally risky communication.
Many, especially Fortune 500 companies had been silently retreating over the past year, strategically dismissing employees with DEI titles. A leader at several Fortune 500 companies, Jessica Graham has faced layoffs at multiple organizations. “Personally, I was laid off. About three months prior to the executive orders, the Fortune 100 company I previously worked for did a giant reorg of the DEI team. Some roles, including mine, were deemed redundant or no longer needed.” While layoffs are often attributed to business needs, Graham and others see a troubling pattern emerging as DEI positions are disproportionately affected.
Last year, Microsoft laid off a DEI team, noting DEI was ‘no longer business critical’, along Meta, Amazon, dozens of non-tech companies, according to Fast Company.
While some have chosen to quietly pull back newly made DEI commitments, others are doubling down.
“The clients that are doubling down on DEI are actually increasing spending this year, continuing to support their ERGs and reassuring their employees that they will continue to speak up for their rights,” De explains.
Jackon sees a similar pattern. “The vast majority of our clients have reached out to assure us that they will fight for their people,” she says.
The Role of Allies and the Path Forward
For those wondering how to support DEI efforts in this precarious climate, practitioners offer a clear message: action is needed. “More Upstanders, less Bystanders,” De asserts. “I want folks to feel comfortable getting their phones out when they see ICE detaining folks. I want people to feel like they can question officers when they board public transport or show up at school.”
Allies have a role to play. “The ask is almost always the same,” says Jones. “I’d like people to speak up, to speak out, to make noise, and join others to find a way forward.”
Flanery-Rye underscores the importance of economic and social support. “If you have economic power, put your money where it can have the biggest impact. If you have flexible time, use it to volunteer in your local community. If you have a public platform or social influence, use it to amplify voices.”
Allyship needs to come from leaders with influence on a national and global stage.
Graham, wants to see coordinated leadership in response to these challenges. “I’d love to see a bit more leadership in this space. I know we’re all still reeling, but, to be honest, should we be? This fate has been clear since Nov. 5. I am puzzled and disappointed that major organizations haven’t already gotten together to provide a public-facing roadmap or counter-narrative to Project 2025.”
The Need for Community
For many, the work has been deeply personal, making this moment all the more difficult. “I experience the full gamut of emotions – anger, sadness, resignation, betrayal, numbness, incredulity, optimism, hope, resolve,” shares Jessica Graham. “It’s a maniacal level of disruption that exceeds even my wildest nightmares.”
Graham also highlights the personal toll beyond the workplace. “After the inauguration, a loved one I hold dear revealed to me the extent of his radicalization and true beliefs in the ‘anti-woke’ work as important and a matter of top priority. I cried for many days, realizing they were unable to see my humanity as a Black woman.”
Yet, even in her frustration, she sees an urgent need to counter the misinformation fueling the backlash against DEI efforts. “We’re in a country and a world today where there’s deep othering. Where there’s institutional othering. Where othering has been weaponized,” she reflects, referencing insights from john a. powell’s book The Power of Bridging.
For many, community has become a critical source of healing and bridging. “I’m finding a great deal of healing in community,” says Sari De. “Community is what will save us.”
The Future of DEI: Adaptation and Resilience
DEI is more than anti-bias training and employee resource groups.
In Assembly Required, David Glasglow, of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, and Stacey Abrams us that DEI includes:
- Ensuring pregnant workers can sit at work, and breastfeeding mothers have time and space to pump at work.
- Increasing gender representation, for instance in symphony orchestras where gender-balanced auditions increased female representation from 5% to 40%.
- Opportunities for up-skilling and re-skilling as technology reshapes workplaces.
Graham believes that the field needs a clearer articulation of its value. “As a movement, we must do better to articulate what anti-bias work is all about and whom it serves. I have talked to many executives recently who are looking for language – when I start talking about DEI as supporting those with disabilities, or veterans, they seem shocked. We must do a better job articulating the full scope of this work.”
Despite the current challenges, practitioners are resolute in their belief that DEI will not disappear—it will evolve. “DEI won’t be erased, but for it to survive, it must evolve,” says Flanery-Rye. “The real challenge is finding better ways to connect. It’s about making DEI real and relevant, rooted in lived experiences, backed by data, and communicated through compelling storytelling.”
DEI practitioners are facing one of the most challenging periods in recent memory, but their resolve is unshaken. As Jones aptly puts it, “This moment has also called out the need to frame the work clearly and pointedly so people understand it. That’s an opportunity for evolution, which diversity, equity, and inclusion—and the people who lead this work—are more than capable of.” The work will continue, shaped by those who refuse to be silenced.