No death for diversity: How DEI is being rebranded not disbanded

Donald Trump is back in the White House and swinging a sledgehammer at DEI.But the blows he’s dealt — an end to diversity training mandates, race-conscious hiring in government, and funding for DEI programming — target only federal initiatives, leaving race-based preference programs outside government untouched.

In other words, the “death” of diversity, equity and inclusion has been greatly exaggerated.McDonald’s, for instance, has not abandoned its DEI agenda — despite declarations to the contrary.On Jan.

6, the fast-food giant announced it was “evolving” its diversity team into the “Global Inclusion Team,” claiming the name change was “more fitting for McDonald’s in light of our inclusion value and better aligns with this team’s work.” The choice of date wasn’t accidental.While the nation was fixated on the anniversary of the Capitol riot, McDonald’s slipped this shift in under the radar, knowing it would be lost in the noise.McDonald’s move is not a retreat; it’s a recalibration—a calculated attempt to dodge political backlash while maintaining the same ideological agenda.

And McDonald’s is not alone in this ideological shape-shifting.Starbucks, once a champion of DEI, no longer ties executive bonuses to diversity goals following shareholder pressure and backlash from conservative groups.Duolingo and JetBlue recently framed DEI as a business risk in their latest corporate filings — a sharp pivot from moral imperative to liability management.But this doesn’t mean DEI has died at these corporate giants.

Not at all.Duolingo continues to publish pieces on its blog aimed at promoting diversity in education, while Starbucks’ website now proudly dedicates itself to “Inclusion, Diversity & Belonging.” JetBlue, despite those filings, is also still prominently promoting DEI initiatives on its website.

It’s a game of deception, not genuine transformation.Of course, one cannot discuss DEI without mentioning its p...