Gov. Greg Abbott issued an Executive Order on Jan. 31 directing all Texas state agencies to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and to treat all people equally regardless of race. He believes the DEI agendas divide us rather than unite us.
DEI exists to welcome and value people from different backgrounds by giving them the extra help they may need to succeed. A number of organizations consider DEI a priority in hiring and advancement. For instance, if an employee feels respected in their workplace, they are more likely to be productive and committed to the organization. It is important to those who have been left out of fair chances in the past. Del Mar practices DEI by having a diverse student body with 71% Hispanic or Latino attendees and helps those with lower income find the right financial aid they qualify for. Representation of diverse and inclusive learning helps inspire students to believe in themselves.
Gov. Abbott wants to limit DEI programs in Texas. This will result in fewer chances of fair treatment toward underrepresented groups, such as disabled individuals, people of color, women and those from low-income backgrounds. The law could make it more difficult for those certain communities to get jobs or be accepted into college simply based on their backgrounds. It allows the opposing crowd of people to keep the power, making it unfair to the ones who have to stay behind. Additionally, Gov. Abbott limits himself as a disabled person with this law he approved, seeing as he is in a wheelchair after being paralyzed from the waist down in his 20s.
Many corporations and schools believe that this new policy and the importance of DEI needs to be noticed. There should be continuing education on the matter to better improve the knowledge of students who are directly affected by the limitations of DEI. Citizens who are concerned or wish to help the situation can form and attend meetings to get their points out. We all have voices and opinions, and there is no better time than now to use them effectively.
