06-02-2025
Do you care about DEI when it comes to where you spend your money? Tell us.
There is a good chance that I have been a DEI hire at some point. I can tell you that I have definitely been a DEI job candidate – where they bring in a person of color while intending to hire an internal candidate.
It's unavoidable to be in that circle of hiring discussions when you're a person of color applying for professional jobs, especially professions that at any point work to add some diversity of thought or inclusion to their staff. I don't want to shock anybody, but I'm a Latino male with family members who were born in Mexico. Because I'm a journalist, that means I'm also part of the 8% of Latinos in this industry as of 2023.
So, again, I'm probably a DEI hire, right? I mean, it's been 25 years. Chances are good that I am. That's not to say that I'm here today to ask for your opposition to the efforts of President Donald Trump and Republicans to rid the government of DEI, which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Today, I'm asking you to tell us how you feel about DEI and the conversation happening across our country and in your lives. This is my contribution to a conversation happening in retail, sports and government circles.
Now, it's your turn. So tell us. Here are some prompts to help you get started. Please fill out the form below or send us an email at forum@ with the subject line "Forum DEI" to officially take part in our USA TODAY Opinion Forum on DEI. We'll publish a collection of your responses.
What are your thoughts on DEI?
Should the federal government be focusing on it?
What are you seeing in your local or state government?
Do you care about DEI when you pick where to spend your money?
Louie Villalobos is the director of opinion for Gannett and can always tell when a recruiter is asked to go find a DEI candidate but is happy to go through the motions for the lulz.
Do you want to take part in our next Forum? Join the conversation by emailing forum@ can also follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and sign up for our Opinion newsletter to stay updated on future Forum posts.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump wants to rid government of DEI. How much do you care? | Opinion
