Last month, an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. army helicopter collided over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. killing 67 people. A day after the crash, President Donald Trump held a press conference.
"We're all searching for answers," said the president. "The FAA is actively recruiting workers who suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental and physical conditions under a diversity and inclusion hiring initiative spelled out on the agency's website. Can you imagine?"
There's no evidence that the plane crash was caused by diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in the Federal Aviation Administration. But Trump's remarks were in line with his administration's aggressive approach to undoing DEI programs across the federal government.
As of Tuesday, Trump has signed seven executive orders or proclamations related to DEI. They include ending virtually all such programs in the federal government, calling them "illegal," and "Ending racial indoctrination in K through 12 schooling." According to the Trump administration, that includes teaching "gender ideology and critical race theory" in the classroom.
A number of private companies and institutions are following suit. Target, Google, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, and PBS are just a few now changing or eliminating their DEI initiatives following Trump's orders.
We explore what DEI actually means, and what happens when we just get rid of it.
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