Pick a Side: Why Sitting Out the Attack on DEI Is No Longer an Option

We are living in a pivotal moment in history, a moment where silence is complicity, where neutrality is surrender. The attack on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is not just an attack on fairness in the workplace or educational opportunities; it is an attack on the very fabric of our democracy. This is not just about DEI. It is about power. It is about whether we will allow a small but vocal movement to divide and conquer us or whether we will stand together to defend a future where all people are valued, protected, and empowered.

The Invention of Race: The Original Divide-and-Conquer Strategy

This strategy of division is not new. One of the most powerful and enduring examples of divide and conquer came after Bacon’s Rebellion of 1676. In colonial Virginia, indentured servants—both Black and White—rose up together against the ruling elite. This multiracial coalition of poor laborers terrified the landowning class because it exposed their greatest fear: the oppressed uniting against them. In response, they devised a brutal but effective strategy—the invention of race as a means of control.

To prevent future uprisings, colonial leaders codified racial distinctions into law. White indentured servants were gradually given more privileges, while Black individuals were permanently enslaved. This newly established racial caste system ensured that poor Whites would see themselves as superior to Black people rather than as allies in a shared struggle against the elite. The consequences of this decision still shape our society today. The powerful learned that the best way to maintain control is to keep the majority divided, fearful, and fighting among themselves rather than recognizing their common interests.

The War Against DEI is a War Against All of Us

The recent article, The Great Resegregation, highlights how the attack on DEI is not just about policy; it is about restructuring society to entrench existing power structures. The dismantling of DEI programs is directly linked to efforts to roll back civil rights protections, weaken labor movements, and suppress historically marginalized groups. These actions mirror historical attempts to reverse progress whenever marginalized communities gain rights, reinforcing a cycle of exclusion and inequality. The elimination of DEI efforts is not an isolated event; it is part of a coordinated strategy to reshape institutions in favor of a privileged few while stripping protections from the many.

The recent political assault on DEI is not just about rolling back affirmative action or reducing corporate diversity initiatives—it is about dismantling the government, weakening civil rights protections, and suppressing marginalized voices. By eliminating DEI programs, those in power are actively working to weaken government oversight, erase historical injustices, and ensure that only a privileged few maintain control over policy, economics, and culture.

When they tell you that DEI is “woke” ideology, what they really mean is that they want to turn back the clock on progress. When they claim that DEI is “divisive,” they are engaging in the very act of division—pitting workers against each other, stoking racial and gender resentments, and creating fear where there should be solidarity. This is a classic divide-and-conquer strategy, and it is working—unless we refuse to play along.

Federal Workers: Stripped of Dignity and Respect

Federal workers, the backbone of our democracy, are being stripped of their dignity and respect under the guise of eliminating DEI. Layoffs, defunding, and the forced elimination of diversity-related positions are creating a hostile work environment where long-serving professionals are being pushed out, silenced, or devalued. The government, which should model inclusion and fairness, is instead being used as a testing ground for anti-DEI efforts that will soon spill into every workplace across America.

When we allow federal workers to be disrespected, mistreated, and ignored, we send a clear message: no workplace is safe from the rollback of civil rights protections. If they can gut DEI at the highest levels of government, they can—and will—do it everywhere.

The False Promise of Neutrality

Some people want to believe they can sit this out. They want to believe that politics is just noise, that things will be balanced in time, that good people on both sides will find a middle ground. That illusion is dangerous. Sitting on the sidelines is not an option when the playing field itself is being erased.

If you think this fight does not concern you, consider this:

• If you are a woman, your right to fair treatment at work is under threat.
• If you are a worker, your rights to unionize and push back against corporate greed are under threat.
• If you are a scientist, an educator, or a journalist, your right to research and report on inequality is under threat.
• If you are a voter, your access to fair elections and political representation is under threat.
• If you are a federal worker, your job security, dignity, and respect are under threat.

This is not just about identity politics—it is about whether democracy itself can survive when one side is actively working to suppress participation and silence voices.

Most Americans Favor DEI—The Attacks Are a Minority Power Grab

Despite the noise, many Americans support DEI initiatives. Americans support DEI initiatives. Recent polls confirm that most Americans believe in the importance of inclusion, fairness, and equal opportunity. The attack on DEI is not a reflection of widespread public sentiment; rather, it is a strategic effort by a small, powerful faction to erode the rights of the many in favor of the privileged few.

Do not be fooled by those who claim DEI is unpopular. The truth is, DEI is under attack precisely because it is effective. Because it works. Because it empowers people. And that terrifies those who want to maintain control at all costs.

What Side Are You On?

You don’t have to be a political activist to take a stand. You just have to refuse to be a pawn in a strategy designed to make us weaker, more divided, and more fearful. Here’s what you can do:

• Speak up. When you hear misinformation about DEI, challenge it with facts.
• Vote. Support candidates who believe in an inclusive, equitable democracy.
• Organize. At work, in your community, and online—find like-minded people and push back.
• Refuse to be divided. Solidarity is the only way to win. If they want us to fight each other, our best response is to fight for each other instead.

The battle lines are drawn. The attacks on DEI, on civil rights, on workers’ rights, and on democracy itself are not separate issues. They are part of a single, strategic effort to keep power in the hands of the few by turning the many against each other. The only question left is: what side are you on?

The time for sitting out is over. Pick a side.

?