Brunswick Beacon, 01.30.25
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs have come under attack from politicians and business leaders during the past year. As noted in a recent cable news report, an executive order has been inked to ban DEI considerations in federal hiring. Some US companies have backpedaled on some DEI initiatives.
According to the report, several DEI experts and industry leaders agreed on what constitutes the DEI concept:
Diversity is embracing the differences everyone brings to the table, whether those are someone’s race, age, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, or other aspects of social identity. [Note 1: Some examples are: Black, Brown, or White females; disabled veterans; and special needs students.]
Equity is treating everyone fairly and providing equal opportunities. [Note 2: Equity is giving a 6-1/2 foot tall man a 6-foot ladder and his 4-1/2 foot tall friend an 8-foot ladder to pick apples from a tree. Equality is giving both of them a six-foot ladder.]
Inclusion is respecting everyone’s voice and creating a culture in which people from all backgrounds feel encouraged to express their ideas and perspectives.
Nearly 64 years ago, a college scholarship was denied after my senior year in high school when I could not tell an interviewer how oxygen is made in the laboratory. He did not accept the explanation that laboratories did not exist in my rural, segregated school as a legitimate excuse. Fortunately, other colleges provided financial assistance later through a Federal loan (NDEA) and scholarship (NASA) that led to BS and PhD degrees in chemistry, respectfully. A DEI recruiting effort by a Fortune 100 company led to my 20-year career in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
A pioneer business leader was quoted in the cable news report that “at its best, DEI is about developing talent, measuring it in a fair way and finding hidden talent and disadvantaged talent in a world where not everybody has an equal chance to exhibit their abilities.” Hopefully, citizens of Brunswick County will see me as a positive example of the DEI concept and will defend the concept against numerous attacks.
William Flythe
Southport
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