Blog 4-DEI in Education

 Title: Presidential Actions: Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing

Author: The White House, President Donald Trump

Title: Presidential Actions: Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity

Author: The White House, President Donald Trump

Title: Trump’s Executive Orders on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Explained

Author: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights/Amalea Smirniotopoulos

What is DEI in 2025 and why does it matter for schools?

The DEI, which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is a belief that originated with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, aiming to make discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin illegal in employment. Following the passage of the Civil Rights Act, additional decrees have been implemented to prevent racism and promote equality. Currently, in 2025, President Donald Trump has implemented changes to the DEI through the following executive orders: Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing and Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity. In summary, the first order ended all forms of DEI in the Federal Government and its funding. The second order, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, dismisses any of the initiatives and policies set forth to reduce racism, claiming to be the DEI, but, in reality, do not serve that purpose, are immoral, and go against the Civil Rights Act.  He states that citizens should be chosen for a job based on merit rather than their membership in a particular race or gender. Multiple executive orders, issued over decades, were revoked that aimed to help minorities and promote equality. Regarding education, institutions that receive federal funding are required to comply with these new orders, which the Attorney General and the Secretary of Education guide. 

In contrast, the third article, Trump’s Executive Orders on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion states, “These executive orders are designed to chill and prohibit lawful efforts to advance equal opportunity. They attempt to do so by spreading disinformation and distorting federal laws to advance an agenda based on division and hate.” I feel Trump did make a very bold move by ridding these policies that have been a part of our government for decades. These executive orders as Armstrong and Wildman would put exhibit “colorblindness.” Trump is dismissing the fact that people who are not a part of the privileged sector struggle and, by nature, are not incorporated into mainstream America and need assistance. 

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights states the importance of DEI in education, “Instead, they are strategies to equalize opportunities for groups of people who are unfairly disadvantaged, such as engaging in broader outreach and recruitment measures to expand a college applicant pool.” People of color and low income do not have access to the best education system; with executive orders that promote diversity, prestigious schools offer opportunities to those who do not have access.  The image below provides a visual representation of how students, depending on their privileged status, require support to achieve the same outcomes as their more privileged peers.

Without being inclusive and offering opportunities, it will still be a white, male, middle-class-dominated world; the way things are set up starting from grade school makes it hard for minorities to move up in society. As Delpit stated, the school's culture is designed for the success of students from upper-middle-class families. Knowing these facts and then seeing all the DEI efforts in education revoked almost feels like we are going backward. We are once again turning our cheek to racism in America. The link below delves deeper into the importance of DEI in education, breaking the cycle of the privileged consistently receiving a better education, which in turn translates to better job opportunities and higher pay. In addition, the DEI in schools promotes a global education system that fosters students' empathy and encourages multi-perspective thinking.  It also claims that we are sheltering our children and preventing them from experiencing diversity firsthand:

DEI programs are crucial for equitable education

In conclusion, removing DEI from education and the workforce would be a step backward, embracing a very narrow-minded mentality. As Amalea Smirniotopoulos states, “The federal workforce is best able to serve our country if it reflects the full range of available talent.” This country will better serve its citizens once it can represent all of them; the only way to do this is by embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion.