Within days of his second term, President Trump placed federal employees focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives on leave, intending to terminate their employment. Similar job losses have affected DEI program leaders in higher education, particularly in states with conservative legislatures that have eliminated DEI roles. Additionally, several companies have curtailed DEI efforts, resulting in further job losses.
The human cost of these actions is often overlooked. The majority of those affected are American women of color, and their plight demands empathy and recognition.
Media coverage has primarily concentrated on the programs and policies being eliminated, the reasons behind these actions, and the misconceptions fueling them. Educational implications for diverse students have also received attention. However, insufficient focus has been placed on the individuals—the DEI professionals—who are experiencing job loss, financial instability, and the added burden of facing baseless accusations of illegality and immorality from President Trump and other officials.
Following the White House announcement, conservative news outlets celebrated the job losses. This celebratory response disregarded the human cost: the potential inability of these professionals to pay rent, mortgages, childcare, or college tuition; the loss of healthcare benefits; and the difficulties of finding new employment due to the negative narratives surrounding DEI. The current job market is particularly challenging for DEI professionals.
Perhaps President Trump and other DEI opponents did not fully consider the consequences of these actions. Or perhaps their focus remained on a vision of America that prioritizes a specific demographic in leadership positions.
The dismissal of federal DEI professionals without meetings, firsthand experience with their work, or verification of alleged misconduct was ill-conceived. Celebrating these firings is cruel and inhumane.
These individuals, and the communities they serve, deserve better.