Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is not entirely dead and buried for Black voters, despite attacks by President Donald Trump to end those programs.
New research shows that they want transparency in hiring, programs to improve accessibility for people with and without disabilities, and employer-paid emergency childcare among the top future reforms in the nation’s workplace tied to DEI.
The fresh findings stem from a survey of just over 3,000 registered voters, including 12% who are Black, by Bellwether Research and Consulting. Bellwether and Hart Research conducted 10 focus groups with diverse populations before the national survey to get their views.
The analysis comes as Trump has called for
the dismantling of DEI programs in the federal government and ordered federal agencies to compile lists of private companies that might be investigated for their DEI practices. As such, Black federal workers and those employed by private firms could become unemployed.While many businesses and others continue to support DEI efforts, those actions this year have faced a rise in political resistance, legal obstacles, and public distrust. And spats have reportedly emerged on matters like fairness, merit, and identity.
The latest report aims to gain deeper insights into attitudes around DEI, understand how voters from different demographics view DEI, and determine the best way for the private and public sectors to apply those practices in the future.
Christine Matthews, president of Bellwether Research and Consulting, provided commentary on Black voters’ responses by email to BLACK ENTERPRISE after serving as the report’s lead researcher.
She says the desire for transparency in pay and for programs to improve accessibility were among the top choices for most voters, not just Black voters. For employer-paid emergency childcare, both Black men and Black women prioritize it, while, conversely, white voters consider it a higher priority for women.
Matthews declared that an exciting finding is that the No. 1 request for Black women was “more networking opportunities, especially for people who do not come from privileged backgrounds.” It was their top choice among that group at 40%. It didn’t show up among Black voters overall, as Black men rated it lower at 27%.
tom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad3">“Black women rated this option higher than any other cohort in the survey.”
The report offered many recommendations tied to suggested future DEI practices. Among them: “Allies should lean in and push back on Trump’s DEI attacks. Right now, what voters are hearing isn’t balanced — it’s mostly anti-DEI.” It added the most egregious examples, including “cutting federal research on women’s health and pressuring private companies to drop DEI.”
It proposes challenging DEI myths about who benefits as well as merit. Refuting the practice solely on the basis of race or gender undermines standards. It suggests redefining who benefits from the procedure and emphasizing DEI specifies equal opportunity to compete based on skills.
So, what are the next potential steps to take DEI to another level based on the survey findings? A spokesman for NxtLevel, a DEI advocacy organization that funded the report, shared its intentions on how the research will be utilized.
“Over the course of the next few weeks and months, NxtLevel is going to be briefing stakeholders and executives across different sectors– corporations, non-profits, activists, influencers, and others so that they can fully understand where the American people truly stand on equal opportunity programs and can use this data in ways that complement their existing efforts.”
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