By Joelle Emerson - FORTUNE - January 4, 2024

When diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work was thrust into the national spotlight, it was on the heels of universally condemned, horrific tragedies: the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. DEI efforts, which have existed for decades in higher education and the corporate sector, quickly became one of the ways we as a society sought to fix the wrongs of racial injustice.

Just three years later, the term DEI has become weaponized and cast as the villain in the economic or social issue of the moment. This year alone, it’s been blamed for a bank collapse, a train derailment, and, most recently, antisemitism on college campuses.

How we got here

In reality, anti-diversity activists have been working towards this moment for decades. Edward Blum, the activist funding legal challenges to affirmative action, grants for Black women entrepreneurs, and fellowship programs for law firm associates, has been pursuing this mission for over 30 years. (Blum describes these cases as “anti-discrimination” efforts).

Read the full article HERE.