Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

‘Black jobs’ slur and anti-DEI mindset are bad for business

Three diverse professionals  in business attire smiling and posing in an office
LaylaBird/Getty Images

Devlin is managing director of Open to All. Unguresan is founder of the EDGE Certified Foundation.

It’s a trend with no clear expiration date and every sign of continuing — the “Black job” meme, which began in June when former President Donald Trump said immigrants were taking “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs.”

In the weeks that followed, one of the more joyful iterations came when Shonda Rhimes, among the most successful television producers and screenwriters in history, posted a photo of herself on Threads wearing a T-shirt that read, “My Black Job is TV Titan.” And at the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama made the point that the presidency was a “Black job.”


But what accounts for the staying power of this meme, one that Gen Z icons like Simone Biles have happily embraced? Why is it that nearly three monthssince its original utterance the public imagination continues to delight in mocking the notion of jobs categorized by race and ethnicity?

Because the thinking behind it is comically outdated. But it’s also a central core of today’s opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion practices. In coining the terms “Black jobs” and “Hispanic jobs,” the former president perfectly distilled the anachronistic mindset behind the anti-DEI backlash, just as others have tarred people of color in leadership as a “DEI hire,” a “DEI mayor” and the possible “DEI president.”

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

These are today’s slurs — the belief that people of color have a fixed place at the bottom and that when they’re successful, they haven’t earned it. It’s the same mindset that perversely sees diversity, equity and inclusion measures as giving advantages to people from underrepresented groups rather than what DEI is: a method for including people who have been systematically kept on the margins.

But it’s time to be honest — the anti-DEI mindset is highly perishable from a business perspective. It just won’t keep. The most cursory glance at the horizon makes this clear.

For those who oppose diversity, equity, and inclusion measures, it should be troubling to know that Gen Z is not with you. To today’s 13- to -27-year-olds, an anti-DEI mindset is as appealing as coal-fired power plants. Today’s youth are more than their TikTok makeup tutorials and inscrutable slang: Members of Gen Z are employees, customers, innovators, voters and leaders — to an extent today, and growing steadily.

And they’re the most diverse generation so far. In the United States, only 52 percent are non-Hispanic white (compared to 61 percent of millennials), one in four are Hispanic, and 22 percent identify as LGBTQ, nearly three times the rate of the population as a whole.

By 2031, Gen Z is expected to make up about 31 percent of the U.S. workforce and currently makes up 27 percent of the global workforce.

Of all the generations, Gen Z has expressed the lowest levels of “spiritual health,” the feeling that their lives have meaning and they find purpose in their work. The employers that can meaningfully respond to that sentiment will be the ones that attract and retain young employees. DEI is a big part of that. Eighty percent of job seekers aged 18-34 say a company’s investment in diversity, equity and inclusion is very or somewhat important to them when they are considering a new job, according to Glassdoor. Also consider that 65 percent of Gen Z in the United States and United Kingdom acknowledge having mental health challenges, according to Oliver Wyman.

There’s a connection between these three data points. Together they shine a light on a key component of DEI: A climate of belonging is one in which each person’s unique identity is valued; assimilation is not the goal.

The benefits of responding to Gen Z’s priorities are obvious: Inclusion minded Gen Z employees will know how to sell to, communicate with, and design, innovate and problem-solve for those in their cohort and with some naturally overlapping Gen Alpha soon. And the benefits of their contributions extend to the rest of us. By 2025, Gen Z online shoppers are expected to outnumber Gen X online shoppers. Meanwhile, the estimated global spending power of Gen Z exceeds $450 billion. And 50 percent of Gen Z shoppers want companies to take a position on social issues, particularly racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, gender inequality and climate change.

Now, look, there are plenty of anxiety-themed conversations to be had: Artificial intelligence, rising authoritarianism, climate change and the next inevitable pandemic all promise to affect how we live and work. But telling the next generation of employees, leaders and consumers they shouldn’t be who they are need not be on the list.

Read More

One faction in Congress DOES look like America

Senate Chamber Oregon State Capitol.

Getty Images / Powerofforever

One faction in Congress DOES look like America

Congress is often criticized for being “out of touch” with the American public. One biting critique is that Congress just doesn’t “look like” the constituents they represent. Its members are overwhelmingly more male, white, educated, and older than the general U.S. population. And while this holds true for most of Congress, there is one faction where it is not true: Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. House Democrats more closely align with the demographic breakdown in the U.S. than any other party and chamber. There are some disparities—there are almost twice as many Black Democratic House members (25 percent) compared to the 14 percent in the U.S. population. And women are still a minority in the House Democratic Caucus (43 percent). But in other areas, House Democrats closely track America by race and gender. Hispanic and Latino House Democrats are at 17 percent, compared to 19 percent in the U.S. Even the ratio of LGBTQ members of the House is rising—with about five percent among House Democrats compared to seven percent in the U.S.

This is more than just a symbolic exercise. As the Native American saying goes, “Never judge a person until you walk a mile in his moccasins.” When our elected representatives share the living experiences of those they represent, it increases the likelihood they will be responsive to the needs and aspirations of the public. By comparison, House Republicans are woefully overrepresented by men (85 percent), and only one percent are Black and six percent are Latino. After being ousted as Speaker of the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy in an interview lamented the sorry state of diversity in the Republican Conference. “I’d just become leader and I’m excited and President Trump’s there. And I look over at the Democrats and they stand up. They look like America,” he said. “We stand up. We look like the most restrictive country club in America.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Bridging Hearts in a Divided America

In preparation for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration in Washington, D.C., security measures have been significantly heightened around the U.S. Capitol and its surroundings on January 18, 2025.

(Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Bridging Hearts in a Divided America

This story is part of the We the Peopleseries, elevating the voices and visibility of the persons most affected by the decisions of elected officials. In this installment, we share the hopes and concerns of people as Donald Trump returns to the White House.

An Arctic blast is gripping the nation’s capital this Inauguration Day, which coincides with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A rare occurrence since this federal holiday was instituted in 1983. Temperatures are in the single digits, and Donald J. Trump is taking the oath of office inside the Capitol Rotunda instead of being on the steps of the Capitol, making him less visible to his fans who traveled to Washington D.C. for this momentous occasion. What an emblematic scenario for such a unique political moment in history.

Keep ReadingShow less
Memorial outside a school

A memorial for victims of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.

Kirby Lee/Getty Images

A pastoral response to the Madison school shooting

In the lingering aftermath of thetragic shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where a 15-year-old student's actions claimed two precious lives and wounded six others, we find ourselves once again gathered at the altar of our collective grief. As a pastor and parent, my heart breaks not just for the lives lost but for a generation of children who have come to know active shooter drills as routinely as they know their morning prayers.

Keep ReadingShow less
White House and National Christmas Tree
Michael Lee/Getty Images

Pursuing peace through politics

This is a season of “peace on earth and goodwill to humankind,” yet experiencing that peace is proving elusive as Americans are more stressed and anxious than ever.

Seventy-seven percent of American adults have experienced significant stress about the future of the country, and 39 percent of Americans are actively worried about politics getting brought up at holiday gatherings. While one-third of Americans felt less stress, two-thirds of Americans felt no improvement or even more stress following the election. Entrusting hope in our current version of politics is proving to not be a recipe for experiencing peace.

Keep ReadingShow less