The Death of DEI: Mourning What Could Have Been, Building What Must Be

“Plantations were very diverse places.”

Ruha Benjamin’s words hit me like a brick. Diversity was never the measure of justice. DEI allowed institutions to claim progress without making real change—offering a cosmetic fix while leaving oppressive systems intact.

Now, as DEI initiatives are dismantled, I find myself mourning not just their failure but the loss of what could have been. Institutions promised transformation, yet racial health disparities persist, child health inequities worsen, and backlash against even symbolic progress is here.

Perhaps DEI’s demise is an opportunity. If we are done with performance, what do we build instead?