How to Dismantle the Anti-DEI Machine

·34 min·3 clips

How did we go from a public committed to DEI to one denouncing it in just a few years, as Florida defunds programs and conservatives wage a 'War on Woke'?

The episode opens by listing recent civil rights controversies—campus free speech, book bans, affirmative action's overturn, and Claudine Gay's resignation—all linked to DEI. Host Kendall Ciesemier frames DEI as an umbrella term for values addressing racial injustice in a multiracial society, with diversity, equity, and inclusion defined as distinct concepts. Critical race theory (CRT) is explained as a legal framework tracing slavery's impact, co-opted by conservatives. Guest Alvin Tillery, a political science professor and DEI consultant, contextualizes the backlash as cyclical, noting that DEI programs surged after George Floyd's murder but faced inevitable retrenchment. He shares that corporate DEI originated in the 1980s from lawsuits, not corporate goodwill. Leah Watson, an ACLU senior staff attorney, details the anti-DEI machine's tactics: educational gag orders banning discussions of systemic racism, first seeded by Trump's Executive Order 13950 and now laws in over 20 states. She outlines ACLU lawsuits in Oklahoma, Florida, and New Hampshire challenging these on constitutional grounds. The episode identifies conservative activist Christopher Ruffo as a key architect, using Fox News to stoke hysteria around CRT and DEI. Tillery dismisses Ruffo's ideas as unoriginal, funded by dark money groups like the Manhattan Institute, and argues the movement lacks mainstream support. Watson explains how DEI is misconstrued as anti-meritocracy and divisive, with conservatives using it as a wedge against broad issues. The Supreme Court's affirmative action decision raises concerns about race-neutral practices, but Tillery suggests blue states could enforce audit laws to reveal biases. Watson emphasizes research showing color blindness fails and culturally responsive teaching benefits all students. With the 2024 election approaching, anti-DEI is a Republican campaign strategy, though Tillery notes it's unpopular and Biden could gain by addressing it. The episode concludes with actionable steps: having conversations, supporting DEI programs, attending school board meetings, and contacting elected officials.

As heard by us

A focused account of how anti-DEI rhetoric moved through media, politics, and public culture.

At Liberty follows the backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion through political language, campus speech, book bans, education gag orders, affirmative action, and workplace programs.

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Why you'd press play

You want to know how "critical race theory" became a political alarm bell for fights over DEI? Press play.

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