Three Of The Most Popular DEI Myths Debunked

Diversity, equity, and inclusion, known by its popular initialism DEI, has been on the receiving end of increased hate as of late. Since the DEI boom of 2020, critics of DEI have been regurgitating different myths about the field, some of which have seemed to stick. This article explores three of the most popular DEI myths and provides evidence to debunk these prominent misconceptions.

1. DEI encourages hiring unqualified candidates of color. A common argument against DEI is that it discourages meritocracy. One of the most prominent and popular DEI myths is that DEI results in the hiring of unqualified, non-white candidates. DEI is by no means perfect and has its flaws but the goal of DEI was never to hire unqualified candidates into organizations. In a workplace that has strong DEI practices in place, unqualified non-white candidates should never be shown preference over more qualified white applicants. In addition, some evidence may suggest that non-white workers face more challenges than their counterparts.

For many from underrepresented racial groups, proving you are “worthy” of a job, comes with additional requirements than your counterparts. Many Black leaders, for example, feel like they must work twice as hard; according to Korn Ferry research , almost 60% of Black executives at Fortune 500 companies feel that they have to accomplish twice as much as their colleagues to be seen as equal. It could be argued that nepotism is an even bigger threat in the workplace than the hiring of unqualified non-white candidates because of the frequency at which the former occurs. Nepotism, which is the favoritism shown to relatives, family members, and close friends in the workplace, is more likely to benefit white men from higher-income families, according to a 2023 Harvard Magazine article . There must be an equal amount of energy put towards ensuring that performative diversity efforts (like racial quotas, which are illegal ) aren’t being employed and that there are policies in place to discourage nepotism.

2. DEI encourages hate against white people. A persistent myth about DEI is that it insights hate against white people. While it is true that DEI workshops may include conversations about white supremacy, white privilege, and the system of whiteness, knowledgeable DEI practitioners don’t center their dialogue around encouraging hate against white people; that’s counterproductive to the ultimate goal of DEI. Having productive conversations about systemic inequities and racism means that we must acknowledge the role that white people have played in the harm of non-white communities while also having nuanced conversations about internalized oppression , colorism , anti-blackness , and how many non-white people inflict harm intra-communally.

Some lawmakers who believe this DEI myth may think that whitewashing America’s true history will somehow benefit the youth, when in actuality, failing to understand the root cause of society's inequities will allow these inequities to persist. Racial healing requires us to acknowledge the harm that different marginalized communities have and still currently face and implement systems and structures to rectify this harm. Critics of DEI can provide little to no evidence that the majority of DEI professionals actually encourage hate against white people—only personal anecdotes without substantial proof that this is a common practice across the field.

3. DEI benefits only certain groups. A common misconception is that DEI only benefits certain groups of people. Affirmative action is an example of a popular DEI initiative and although the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action in June of 2023, it is a great initiative to analyze because of widely-held beliefs about its beneficiaries. A 2011 report from the African American Policy Forum indicated that although many believe affirmative action only benefits Black people, the United States Labor Department provided evidence to show that white women were the primary beneficiaries of affirmative action programs. The aforementioned report also indicated that contrary to popular belief, in California, after anti-affirmative action measures were put in place, “Black and Latino enrollment plummeted at the two best schools in the University of California system.”

DEI is desperately needed because different communities still experience barriers at many stages in their career. A 2021 McKinsey study on the Black experience at work indicated that Black workers are overrepresented in lower-wage and frontline jobs and experienced what’s called the “broken rung” where they aren’t promoted into managerial positions at the same rates as their counterparts. A 2022 research study highlighted a leadership gap that persists for Asian Americans, along with widespread feelings of exclusion. Many non-white workers face considerable challenges when it comes to advancing in their workplace; DEI done right means addressing these unique needs and creating systems to even the playing field for those who have historically benefitted the most, while creating support systems to uplift the most marginalized and disenfranchised employees.

This article was originally published in Forbes .

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