Abdullah Fayyad

I'm a writer at Vox, and I write a lot about race and class.

I'm a writer at Vox, and I write a lot about race and class.

I'm a writer at Vox, and I write a lot about race and class.

Well, it's interesting because, you know, the history of this really does start with federal workers, or at least federal contractors, starting in the 1960s.

Well, it's interesting because, you know, the history of this really does start with federal workers, or at least federal contractors, starting in the 1960s.

Well, it's interesting because, you know, the history of this really does start with federal workers, or at least federal contractors, starting in the 1960s.

A lot of people now think of DEI just because it's a buzzword.

A lot of people now think of DEI just because it's a buzzword.

A lot of people now think of DEI just because it's a buzzword.

It's become part of the culture wars, a big part of the Republican crusade in this Trump administration is to attack DEI. But it really goes back many decades when President Kennedy signed an executive order that required federal contractors to actively not discriminate in their hiring process. That was followed by an actual tangible law passed by Congress, the Civil Rights Act of 1964,

It's become part of the culture wars, a big part of the Republican crusade in this Trump administration is to attack DEI. But it really goes back many decades when President Kennedy signed an executive order that required federal contractors to actively not discriminate in their hiring process. That was followed by an actual tangible law passed by Congress, the Civil Rights Act of 1964,

It's become part of the culture wars, a big part of the Republican crusade in this Trump administration is to attack DEI. But it really goes back many decades when President Kennedy signed an executive order that required federal contractors to actively not discriminate in their hiring process. That was followed by an actual tangible law passed by Congress, the Civil Rights Act of 1964,

which required all companies of a certain size to make sure that they do not discriminate against their employees or people they might hire.

which required all companies of a certain size to make sure that they do not discriminate against their employees or people they might hire.

which required all companies of a certain size to make sure that they do not discriminate against their employees or people they might hire.

You know, and this eventually evolved into DEI as we know it today. Private companies really took it and ran with it. We started seeing companies in the 1960s, late 1960s, early 1970s, not just complying with the law, but going a little bit further. So at first, you know, these all look similar to what we know now, you know, anti-harassment training, things like that, that were

You know, and this eventually evolved into DEI as we know it today. Private companies really took it and ran with it. We started seeing companies in the 1960s, late 1960s, early 1970s, not just complying with the law, but going a little bit further. So at first, you know, these all look similar to what we know now, you know, anti-harassment training, things like that, that were

You know, and this eventually evolved into DEI as we know it today. Private companies really took it and ran with it. We started seeing companies in the 1960s, late 1960s, early 1970s, not just complying with the law, but going a little bit further. So at first, you know, these all look similar to what we know now, you know, anti-harassment training, things like that, that were

you know, essentially targeted at making sure that employees and companies complied with the law so that they're not liable. But there were companies like IBM that took it a step further. Maybe it was to avoid bad press. Maybe it was to get good press. This idea that this wasn't just something that we have to do in order to comply with the law, but it's a matter of

you know, essentially targeted at making sure that employees and companies complied with the law so that they're not liable. But there were companies like IBM that took it a step further. Maybe it was to avoid bad press. Maybe it was to get good press. This idea that this wasn't just something that we have to do in order to comply with the law, but it's a matter of