Don’t let the anti-DEI charlatans lie to you. Meritocracy is the point of DEI

Meritocracy!!! That has been the buzz word for Donald Trump, Elon Musk and their fellow anti-DEI crusaders. They want to convince you that DEI is out, and meritocracy is in, as if the two are opposites. But that is simply untrue and intentionally deceitful.

It's January 2025, and Los Angeles is engulfed in an inferno. An uncontrollable wildfire is devouring parts of the city, turning people's homes, dreams, memories, and livelihoods into ash. It does not require above minimum human compassion and decency to identify this as a human tragedy and seek to help and console the people whose lives have been appended. However, on Capital Hill, Republican senators and Representatives are not preaching compassion and pushing forward measures to alleviate the suffering. Instead, they are in full-blame mode.  And it's less "who" is to blame but "what" – DEI.

A few weeks later, an army helicopter crashes into a passenger plane over Washington, killing all passengers on board. The US president stands before the presidential seal, his fingers pointing. Again, it's not "who" but "what" – DEI.

This crusade against DEI is not new in America. It has percolated the UK too, but as usual and in true British style – it is nuanced. And to most people, the crusade is simply a "backlash" against programmes that don't work. Even some people who claim to want equality and equity and value diversity have opposed DEI. According to the detractors, DEI does not work. It's unfair. It's a distraction from real problems. It causes problems….and the list goes on.

What all these people do not understand or forget is that DEI is not about programmes or affirmative action  - it is about people, people who have been and continue to be discriminated against, persecuted, prejudiced, oppressed, ignored, excluded, refused opportunities, left to struggle, suffer, and sometimes, die.

What then happens to these people when we stop DEI? They scream, "Meritocracy! We want Meritocracy!" as if meritocracy is the antithesis of DEI.

Of course, we ALL want Meritocracy. That is literally the point of DEI. DEI programmes are there to ensure that people get a fair chance and that the most qualified person gets the opportunity regardless of their gender, sex, race, etc.  DEI programmes are simply a means to an end, not an end in themselves. The end is a truly meritocratic society in which the playing field is levelled for everyone. And to get to that end, we need DEI. DEI is the means by which we can correct some historical and systemic wrongs and imbalances and make the necessary adjustments to make sure everyone is at the appropriate starting point to ensure fair competition. DEI programmes came about because the system wasn't and is not meritocratic. It's riddled with bias and discrimination. So what those who scream they want meritocracy really want is a certain kind of meritocracy. One that says only certain people (white males) can be qualified to do certain jobs or hold certain positions.

This anti-DEI crusade is not a fringe, baseless paranoia perpetuated by a few far-right politicians and public figures with unsavoury views like Elon Musk. The evidence suggests it's a very intentional political movement which has manifested in two main ways – as anti-woke or anti-DEI.

Anti-wokeness and anti-DEI are the same thing, although the anti-woke agenda is considered more palatable and less blatantly racist and discriminatory since it also targets people who are racialised as white. And that's precisely why, in the more nuanced United Kingdom, it is the preferred flavour.  The previous prime minister even appointed an anti-woke minister.

It appears most people are not taking the unceasing attacks on DEI seriously, especially those racialised as white. Most people think the issue is about other people (black, brown, minority groups), not themselves. Some have swallowed the blatant lie and mischaracterisation of DEI as the opposite of meritocracy.  Again, DEI and meritocracy are not opposites. DEI exists as a means to address biases and achieve meritocracy.

But if one really examines what these anti-DEI crusaders are implying, the gravity and seriousness of their actions and words become apparent. When they blame DEI for the damage inflicted by wildfires in California and the midair collision of two planes, when Elon Musk absurdly suggests that lowering standards of entry for surgeons will put patients at risk, when they make all these spurious claims, what they are really saying is that black and brown people, women, gay people, disabled people are not and CANNOT be smart enough or qualified enough to do such work as running the fire department or air traffic control or being a surgeon. And by deduction, the only people who are and can be smart enough are white men. How is that different from the eugenics movement and core Nazi beliefs about the superiority of a certain race. Just think for a moment what that means. Think for a moment what it does to a person of colour, a gay person, or a disabled person to be told that if you are in any position of power or influence, it is because of DEI and not because you are qualified. That's what it means when they call people DEI hires. It's denigrating. It's disrespectful. And it is sexist, misogynistic, racist, homophobic, ableist, or a combination of those.  

The impact and damage from these anti-DEI attacks and misrepresentations will be severe and wide-ranging. As John Amaechi, OBE, put it so eloquently in a recent social media post, the dangers I talk about are not hyperbole.

"I'm not surprised that in the last couple of weeks, we've seen organisations whose enthusiasm for equity appeared insatiable just a few months ago capitulate to people who find words like equity and inclusion inexplicably challenging..... But please know this is not an attempt to erase some words but to erase the plight of people who for centuries found meritocracy to be an elusive aspiration, who are literally being gaslit by people who are trying to convince us that the resistance to inclusion over the centuries is somehow the product of the labels we've used ……..

But remember, every time a group in power has demanded control of the language that defines the experience of those without power, those without power are denigrated. Those without status are disenfranchised, and those without means die.  This is not conjecture. This is not hyperbole. It's history…"  John Amaechi, OBE, 2025

While this is clearly not new, the current crusade against DEI could be more dangerous than ever before because it's being championed by people in positions of extreme power, like the US president, politicians in the most senior positions, tech billionaires who control most media platforms and thus have the power and means to affect change – either through legislation or misinformation. It will take a lot of concerted effort from all of us who believe in the sanctity of equity, equality and inclusion and the power of diversity.

Despite the evidence and data that show that the biggest group to benefit from DEI has been white women, there has been a concerted effort by the anti-DEI crusaders to coopt white women into believing the narrative that DEI is about black and brown and gay and disabled people, and not them.  It is, therefore, important for white women to fully engage in defending DEI and dispelling the myth that meritocracy is its opposite.

If you are wondering why I am singling out white women, the answer is simple. First, I am not singling out white women but merely emphasising the importance of their participation because they have benefited from DEI and are much closer and likely to make an impact and have an influence on the anti-DEI crusaders who are primarily white cisgender men.

But all of us need to engage on the issue. And the most important thing is to wrestle back the language. We need to restore the true meaning of DEI and protect it from mischaracterisation. We must dispel the myth and bogus claim that DEI is the opposite of meritocracy. And we must point out the racist nature of the implications that black and brown people and women and gay people are "diversity hires".  Language is powerful.  We must not shy away from the fight to control the language that describes and defines our experiences.

But language is only the beginning. Through our actions, especially consumer power, we must show that we value organisations that value and invest in diversity, equity, and inclusion by giving more business and more of our money to such organisations. Conversely, we must punish companies that have overtly and explicitly joined the racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist anti-DEI agenda.  

While the current anti-DEI crusade is not new, it is nonetheless dangerous. It is dangerous because people with power, influence, and a lot of money have invested in packaging and peddling a deeply racist and discriminatory mischaracterisation of DEI to the masses. And they are not getting challenged and pushed back enough. DEI is not the opposite of meritocracy. It is an attempt to fix and achieve true meritocracy. Calling people DEI hires is deeply disrespectful and racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, etc. It should not be tolerated in public discourse the way the "n-word" is not tolerated. But the most important takeaway is that we all must engage directly with this dangerous development. We must challenge and expose it for what it truly is. We need to flex our consumer power to punish organisations and companies that have adopted this anti-diversity, pro-inequity and exclusion agenda. And we must be prepared to fight an endless battle because the forces that seek to divide us will always seek to do so. It is in our power to act. And if we desire to live in a truly meritocratic, diverse, equitable, and inclusive society, we have no choice but to act.