A History of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Dr. Touré Reed

In this episode of Talking History, Patrick Needham and Djene Bajalan speak with Dr. Touré Reed about the history of anti-discrimination initiatives, from Affirmative Action to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

On January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order entitled, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government and DEI Programs and Preferencing,” which mandated an end to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives within the Federal Government. Since then, numerous large corporations have canceled or scaled back their DEI initiatives. Needless to say, this has been a controversial move. For liberals, it is seen as an assault on civil rights, while for conservatives it signals the restoration of a meritocracy. However, what are the historical origins of DEI? To explore this topic, Patrick and Djene speak with Dr. Touré Reed.

Touré F. Reed is a Professor of 20th Century US and African American History at Illinois State University. He is the author of Not Alms But Opportunity:  The Urban League and the Politics of Racial Uplift, 1910-1950 (UNC Press) and Toward Freedom: The Case Against Race Reductionism (Verso Books).  

Professor Reed is currently working on his third book length monograph, Menace II Equality:  How the Entertainment Industry Sold Reaganism to Black Americans.