3 days ago
Still doing the work: How DEI leaders are adapting to political pushback
As national pressure mounts against DEI programs, some organizations are removing terminology, rewriting job descriptions or folding initiatives altogether.
But others are adapting, embedding DEI principles throughout their work and refusing to walk away.
Experts addressed these themes during 'What Happens to DEI Strategies Now?,' a panel at the 2025 Builders Conference.
Sylvie Gallier Howard, founder of Equitable Cities Collaborative, said she's seen organizations across sectors retreat from public-facing DEI branding.
Some, particularly those reliant on federal funding, have even received direct warnings: Don't list DEI as a line item, or risk losing support.
'It's this weaponization of DEI,' Howard said. 'A lot of people I know are saying they're scrubbing those words from their websites, from their literature, because they're afraid of losing funding or becoming a target. They consistently tell me, 'We're still doing the work, we're just not using the words publicly.''
That rebranding might mean swapping language on websites or external communications, explained Alyssa Vasquez from the professional training firm Cultured Enuf. Just because the wording changes doesn't mean the mission is different, she said. These moves are made out of necessity and fear of losing funding from the federal government.
Vasquez emphasized that these shifts don't have to signal a retreat — but leaders must be intentional in how they implement work policies.
'My hope is that [companies] shift from 'token' to real strategies integrated into talent management. We help them integrate real questions in interviews about experiences: 'Have you been led by a woman of color? Have you had a Black woman as a supervisor?'' Vasquez said. 'Because if [the answer is] never, that may cause issues. Focusing on day-to-day, making it about competencies, not token hires — that's the direction I'd like to see.'
Embedding DEI across operations
Vasquez and Howard shared how they're navigating this moment with their own businesses. Howard, whose firm includes 'equitable' in the name, said she's had potential clients question whether she'll rebrand. Even if she won't, she admits that not everyone can make such a firm choice.
'What's the opposite of 'diversity, equity, inclusion?' 'Homogeneity, inequity, exclusion?'' she said. 'Is that what we want? I think we who can stand up, must. But some can't. We have to acknowledge that.'
Vasquez, who works nationally across sectors, said she chooses her clients carefully. In early conversations, she's upfront about the kind of work she does — and if an organization can't integrate with it, she walks away. But she acknowledged not everyone has that ability.
'If we're not aligned, that's a red flag,' Vasquez said. 'If you have the privilege, you can do that. Not everyone does.'
Howard noted that in her economic development experience, strategies like supplier diversity or equitable small business funding are being reframed around geography, income or disinvestment — still equity, just with a different lens, she said.
There are organizations that are doubling down. Vasquez praised the School District of Lancaster as an example of leadership in DEI.
'Maybe they shift job titles, but they're not retreating from the actual pillar of equity. That's real leadership,' she said.
If DEI is seen as a standalone program — or a quick post-2020 fix — it will always be vulnerable to political shifts. But when it's baked into operations, it becomes part of how an organization functions and survives. Vasquez cited the interview process and retention strategy as examples of where this integration matters.
It's also important organizations and companies work together toward these goals.
'A big part of this is forming coalitions for advocacy,' Howard said, 'to do it carefully but not give up.'
