DEI Backlash: Companies Are Responding to Diversity Challenges

Corporate DEI measures saw a surge during and after the nationwide unrest over George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, but they've since become a major political, legal, and cultural flashpoint. Companies that adopted diversity initiatives in 2020 and afterward are now trying to figure out how to retool as they confront a backlash that seems to be partly about weariness with bureaucratic initiatives, but also partly a reflection of demographic anxieties. On this episode of our podcast, On The Merits, analyst Kate Azevedo and reporter David Hood discuss the challenges that DEI initiatives are facing, the way business and other organizations are responding, and what the future may hold under an incoming administration that's openly hostile to diversity policies. Do you have feedback on this episode of On The Merits? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690