OPINION: A brief look at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Dictionary.com defines Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) “as organizational frameworks which seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly groups who have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination on the basis of identity or disability.”

No political system, except utopian communes (most failed), has ever provided the same results for all. Liberal democracies have pursued formal equality before the law but never promised equal results. The principle of equity, as one author explains, “means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place, and we need to acknowledge and make adjustments for imbalances.”

In the early 1970s a group of UI women faculty and staff formed a committee to study pay inequity between men and women employees. Their final recommendations included equal starting salaries for men and women and back pay for those who had suffered pay inequity. Citing alarming attrition rates for women students (25%-30%) the committee also recommended specific strategies for recruitment and retention.

To that end, the committee proposed the establishment of the Women’s Center where students could find support and learn about how to find their way in a society that was still debating the controversial Equal Rights Amendment. Even though it was passed by Congress, the ERA failed to pass in the required 38 states.

The committee also recommended that the Women’s Center be protected from elimination by a state legislature not inclined to support civil rights. That assurance has now been threatened by Senate Bill 1357, which requires the UI to close not only the Women’s Center but also all the other programs that support minority rights.

That bill did not pass but far-right legislators have vowed to do so next year. In a speech to UI faculty on Aug. 13, UI President Scott Green had a diplomatic response: “Some forces around the state don’t value diversity the same way we do.”

In 1974, the women had the full support of then UI President Ernest Hartung, and he urged them, ironically, to file a discrimination complaint against the university with the Idaho Human Rights Commission. Hartung’s reasoning was that a successful appeal would strengthen his position in supporting women’s rights at the UI. For more on the final settlement see uidaho.edu/news/feature-stories/womens-center.

Already in 1974, the UI Women’s Center was established, and it recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It has had a history of great directors who have developed innovative programs. One that stands out in my mind was a video of Hispanic men being asked to reflect on their relationships with their female partners.

There has been conservative backlash against DEI programs in business, politics and higher education. The Disney Corp. has successfully fought off Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempts to drop its protection for LBGTQI employees, but many other corporations have reduced or cut their DEI programs.

Unfortunately, DEI has been used as an ethnic slur against some elected officials. The collapse of the Keystone Bridge in Baltimore harbor was blamed, incredibly enough, on Black Mayor Brandon Scott. Two social media responses to the “DEI hire” mayor were apt: “I guess DEI is the new N word,” and “DEI hire = disgusting racial slur.”

Republicans are now repeating what they have previously asserted: Kamala Harris was a “DEI hire.” Harris was in fact “hired” by the vote of the people: 4.1 million votes as California’s attorney general; 7.5 million votes as California’s junior senator; and 81.3 million votes as vice president. By the way, Baltimore Mayor Scott was elected by a 70% vote.

In higher education, DEI has been criticized for its threats to academic freedom. For example, I added a section “Women and Ethics” to my ethics class, but is it right for the UI to require faculty to do something similar in their classes? I don’t think so.

Since its inception, the UI faculty union has supported the principle of academic freedom. We sometimes financed legal action for faculty members who insisted on setting their own syllabi or choosing controversial topics for their research. It is proving difficult to find a balance between the legitimate goals of DEI and individual freedom in the academy and society at large.

Gier is a long-time member of the Latah County Human Rights Task Force. Join us at our table to discuss DEI at the Moscow Farmers Market on Sept. 7. Gier’s articles on civil rights can be found at bit.ly/3vPiVD1. Email him at ngier006@gmail.com.