Why Diversity?
Why is diversity important?
So many reasons.
In a McKinsey study on more than 1000 large companies in 15 countries, diversity in executive teams increased “likelihood of financial outperformance.” According to a white paper by CloverPop, inclusive decision making leads to better business decisions 87% of the time, decision making is twice as fast, with half the meetings. Decision outcomes improve by 60%.
Larger juries that are racially diverse “deliberate longer, recall information better, and pay greater attention to dissenting voices.”
Having a variety of people with differing backgrounds and experiences can foster greater creativity and problem solving.
Also, most importantly, it is the right thing to do. When we are exposed to people who did not grow up the way we did, we learn and grow. When we hear new ideas, we activate our own new ideas, destroy old pathways, and see new possibilities. Also, everyone has a voice, and that voice deserves to be heard.
Sadly in the United States, movements to help provide equity to people with disadvantages and disenfranchised backgrounds are under attack. In Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, the Supreme Court ruled that Harvard can no longer uses Affirmative Action practices that allow for consideration of race in admittance decisions. Harvard, in an attempt to correct hundreds of years of lack of educational opportunity for ethnic minorities, includes race as one of the selection criteria for admittance, and asks the selection committees to ensure that the number of ethnic minorities admitted each year does not decline. The current Supreme court majority opinion believes this violates the 14th amendment which guarantees all citizens equal protection of life, liberty, and property.
I agree with Justice Sotomayor and her dissenting opinion here:
Link to article that includes Supreme Court Justices’ disagreements with the ruling.
This began an assault on diversity and DEI in America. When Trump took office, he signed an Executive Order banning DEI work in Federal and State Agencies. As of today, Harvard is fighting the Trump administration for threatening to take away funding from the University as a punishment for allowing protests against the genocide in Gaza. The Trump administration also included demands to disband DEI work and do “extra screening” of international students (eye roll).
I am saddened by these actions. I call upon white people like myself to look internally for fear, anger, and hatred. The advancement of people unlike ourselves is not a threat to you. No one is taking anything from you. Progress in America must be for all groups, not just the privileged. Diversity makes us better, stronger, and more resilient.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/27/nx-s1-5409576/trump-harvard-lawsuit-funding-international-students