DEI Opinion Piece

The Detroit News published an Opinion I submitted on DEI. It's behind a paywall.

A brief summary of the article:

While DEI initiatives have helped a few individuals, they often fail to address systemic issues for the broader population. Focusing on narrow improvements has led to criticisms that DEI efforts are superficial and divisive. To create meaningful change, we need to move beyond these limited programs and develop new strategies that offer equitable opportunities and address the needs of the many, fostering true inclusivity and collective well-being.

I’m also including a follow-up I sent after publication as a point of clarification. 

Thank you for publishing the opinion piece I submitted, titled "Let's Admit It, DEI Is "Lipstick on a Pig"," which was published as "DEI programs address social inequities." I appreciate the editorial team's effort in preparing my piece for publication, but the changed title misrepresents my intended message.

While DEI has garnered some success, we must accept its limitations to create a new way forward that includes all rather than some select few.

If possible, can the title be adjusted to "DEI Aids the Few but Neglects the Many" to better align with the original message or print this clarification, including the final paragraph, which was omitted but speaks directly to how we have settled for helping some but not all. It emphasizes the need for a more inclusive approach in our efforts to reimagine new approaches to inclusion.

It's time to recognize that individual and collective shortcomings hinder our current vision of peace and prosperity for all. *[This was omitted] Our tendency to prioritize personal or ideological preferences over the well-being of others and our reluctance to empathize with those whose values or choices differ from our own have created divisions that hinder progress. Despite our differences, we must acknowledge that we are fundamentally interconnected as a nation. Our shared destiny calls for us to create conditions encouraging everyone to reach their full potential and contribute positively to our collective good. We can and must make of ourselves "one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all."

Sincerely,

Taisha Rucker