Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) arose from historically marginalized communities and classrooms, on the streets and in the courts. This injection of DEI was/is not without resistance, struggle, legislation, and visionary organizing by people who refused to accept exclusion in any form as the norm.
From Reconstruction, when newly freed Black Americans fought for public education, political power, and economic mobility (Civil Rights Act of 1866), to the Civil Rights Movement (1950-1960), DEI has always strived to ensure all individuals are treated fairly and have equal opportunity. This promise, however, has yet to be fully realized as opponents of DEI have and will continue to push back at every step.
Opponents of DEI would have people believe that “diversity,” “equity” and “inclusion” means giving things (college admissions, jobs, etc.) to those unqualified. However, this is far from the truth as DEI helps to level the playing field and open the doors of access and opportunity to individuals who have been historically excluded. This idea led to the expanded efforts of those fighting for DEI to include gender, ability, and sexual orientation (just to name a few). Contrary to what many of its detractors would say, DEI is not only based on race - it also considers the entirety of who someone is. Moreover, the term intersectionality, coined by Civil Rights activist, Kimberlé Crenshaw, in 1989, includes the idea that individuals can hold multiple identity markers at the same time such that they may face overlapping systems of oppression linked with these identity markers.
Fast forward to 2020, as the United States of America faced racial justice uprisings it was made clear that DEI in all spaces was not only important but essential. Companies and institutions put out statements in support of DEI work and even established special offices to see the work through. However, from its rumblings in the dark spaces on the internet and closed-door conversations, the Anti-DEI movement came into the public sphere near the end of 2023. Anti-DEI sentiments, action, and even court cases happened in 2024, and opposition to DEI was a regularly occurring theme in the 2024 presidential election.
Today, at the federal level, programs and progress made by those in the fight for DEI have begun to be stripped away. However, this fight continues. DEI is not a checklist. Done genuinely and appropriately, it is a commitment. A commitment to reimagining systems to include others historically left out, redistributing power, and recognizing the humanity of every person.
TL;DR:
DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) is rooted in the fight for justice by historically marginalized communities, dating back to Reconstruction and continuing through the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. It's not about handouts—it's about removing barriers and ensuring access and opportunity for all, across race, gender, ability, and more (intersectionality). While 2020 brought renewed national attention to DEI, a rising Anti-DEI movement has since pushed back, culminating in federal rollbacks. Still, DEI remains a necessary, ongoing commitment to equity, inclusion, and systemic change to push to a better future.
A Brief History of “Woke” in the United States of America
The term “woke” has deep roots in African American verbiage, consciousness, and resistance, that predates its more recent take over with negative connotation. Within his writings in the 1920s, Marcus Garvey urged Black people all over the world to become more socially and politically conscious. Emerging from Black communities within the United State as early as the 1930s, the term “stay woke” served as a caution for Black people to remain vigilant in the face of systemic racism and social injustice.
During the Civil Rights Movement (1950-1960), “woke” became more than just a call for vigilance. While continuing to urge that call, the term also served as a marker for being socially and politically involved. It became shorthand for awareness—not only of racial inequities, but of the broader interconnected structures that perpetuate oppression. Through the activism of Black Lives Matter, the term “woke” gained a resurgence. This renewed relevance framed being “woke” as active engagement and speaking truth to power.
With this term having wider usage, it has mainly become disconnected from its original meaning. By those resistant to justice and equity work, “woke” is often weaponized or used sarcastically, which has corrupted and misshaped the term to not resemble the grassroots call for awareness and liberation.
To be “woke” and “stay woke” is not for a trend.
To be “woke” and “stay woke” is to be socially and politically conscious.
To engage in action and speak truth to power.
To be “woke” and “stay woke” is a call from our ancestors and elders to be resilient as we fight for justice, equity, and liberation.
TL;DR:
"Woke" originated in Black communities as early as the 1920s–1930s as a call to stay vigilant against racial injustice. It evolved through the Civil Rights era and Black Lives Matter movement as a marker of political and social consciousness. Though often misused and weaponized today, being “woke” is not a trend—it’s a legacy of resistance, awareness, and the ongoing fight for justice, equity, and liberation.