Abstract
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) should not be peripheral goals for organizations and educational institutions but essential components of just and effective policy. Psychological, sociological, and historical evidence highlight how Whiteness is preserved as the invisible dominant cultural norm that structures US institutions—from education to governance—to serve White interests. This system marginalizes Black Americans and other racially and ethnically minoritized groups. Current political and institutional rollbacks of DEI efforts threaten to entrench racial inequities further. Any policy claiming to advance equity must address anti-Blackness as the foundational organizing principle of US society. Policies that ignore race or treat DEI as a business strategy rather than a moral imperative fail to achieve true inclusion. Policy recommendations for educational institutions and organizations should move beyond symbolic diversity and toward structural justice. Ultimately, defiant commitment to DEI is an act of moral leadership, collective resistance, and democratic preservation.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Author(s) 2025
Funding
Federal funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) grants studying the experiences of underrepresented group members and providing training opportunities to scientists from diverse backgrounds should be restored. Investments in research should also be expanded by creating calls for proposals that examine the experiences of Black people and other marginalized groups and support Black and other underrepresented scholars. The financial investments could be used to support recruitment and retention efforts for scholars of color, given that funding cuts harmed underrepresented groups’ participation in science (e.g., ).
| Funders |
|---|
| National Institutes of Health (NIH) |
| National Science Foundation Arctic Social Science Program |
Keywords
- DEI
- critical psychology
- policy
- racism
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Public Administration