When Your Corporation Eliminates DEI and Affirmative Action

I spent a good portion of my lifetime as a Black man navigating major corporations. I’ve worked for Procter & Gamble, Southern Bell, AT&T, and Publix. Most of them were on an upswing while I was there in terms of hiring and promoting workers of color. Some were more grudging than others, but all were increasing their diversity. America, led by certain politicians, is experiencing a backlash to Affirmative Action (AA) and Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DEI) programs. The initial efforts focused on government programs and public schools. Ron DeSantis is attempting to propel himself to the presidency by <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/05/15/1176210007/florida-ron-desantis-dei-ban-diversity" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">eliminating DEI programs</a>, <a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/education/2023/07/24/floridas-new-black-history-curriculum-slavery-kamala-harris-ron-desantis/70455510007/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">rewriting Black History</a>, and targeting the LGBTQ community. He proudly states that “<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/03/desantis-2024-second-term-00076160" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Florida is where woke goes to die,</a>” and his success is being emulated across the country. So far, Texas, North Dakota, Tennessee, and North Carolina have eliminated DEI programs. <a href="https://medium.com/afrosapiophile/when-your-corporation-eliminates-dei-and-affirmative-action-c11fb390608d">Learn More</a>