There is No DE&I Middle Ground: Why Keeping DE&I Doesn’t Mean You’re Doing It Right

Let’s not be fooled: just because your board voted to “keep” DE&I doesn’t mean you were ever doing it right in the first place.

Across America, corporate leaders are breathing a performative sigh of relief, congratulating themselves for not dismantling their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives in the face of growing political pressure. But the truth is, many of these programs were broken long before they came under attack. What we’re witnessing now isn't just a rollback—it’s an exposure. DE&I in corporate America was always too shallow, too PR-driven, and too afraid to challenge the very power structures it claimed to reform.

And now, in 2025, that fragility is being exploited.

Under the current administration, DE&I has become a political punching bag. What began with attacks on school curriculum and higher education admissions has expanded into a full-fledged ideological campaign aimed at corporate America. From lawsuits and threats of federal scrutiny to orchestrated public relations campaigns warning against “woke capitalism,” the message is clear: back off diversity, or prepare to be punished.

The recent boycott of Target has only heightened the stakes. What was once a fringe political issue has now turned into a consumer-facing flashpoint. When Target walked back its Pride Month merchandise and DE&I visibility initiatives amid conservative backlash, it faced swift and vocal criticism from progressives and younger consumers. This sent a chilling message to corporate leaders: even perceived retreat from DE&I can carry a cost.

Now, many in the C-suite view DE&I as a lose-lose proposition. On one side, there’s the threat of capital punishment from lawmakers and litigators. On the other, the risk of having your ability to make capital is punished by consumers. Ultimately, it comes down to this: which backlash are you willing to endure?

While many brands are not complying with a complete dismantling of DE&I, we are still seeing them enact aspects of cultural erasure. Goldman Sachs quietly scrubbed the word “Black” from one of its DE&I programs. JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America have both softened the language on their websites. And while some companies insist their “values haven’t changed,” their silence and subtle shifts tell a different story.  This is where trying to find a middle ground never works.  I can only ascertain that most brands are trying to appease both parties.  Telling diverse audiences they are not dismantling something that was never properly built to serve them is not an act of defiance or commitment, it is placation. 

Let's examine the current disparities that prove that what was put in place has never worked.

According to 2024 corporate disclosures, Black and Latino professionals still occupy less than 10% of executive roles across the Fortune 500. Women of color make up only 4% of C-suite leadership. Supplier diversity programs? In theory, 78% of companies say they have one. However minority-owned businesses still account for less than 2% of total procurement spending in the U.S.

So no, a vote to “keep DE&I” isn’t good enough. Especially if it’s simply a shield to deflect backlash and avoid a boycott à la Target, this moment demands more than self-preservation. It calls for courage.

Brands that are serious about equity shouldn’t view this moment as a threat—they should see it as a test. A test of whether DE&I was ever more than a PowerPoint deck, a panel discussion, or a social media post. A test of whether inclusion is baked into the way you hire, promote, partner, procure, and lead—not just into the way you talk.

What if, instead of softening their stance, companies used this political resistance as a moment to refine and optimize their DE&I strategy? To audit where the work has failed. To be transparent about what's working. To redirect resources not toward symbolic gestures, but measurable outcomes. To resist not just with statements—but with structure, with investment, and with leadership.

Corporate America is always quick to chase culture when it's trending. But real leadership shows itself when doing the right thing is no longer safe, when silence seems easier than speaking up, and when values are tested—not applauded.

The backlash is here. The spotlight is on. The question is not whether you’ll keep DE&I on the books. It’s whether you’ll do anything meaningful with it.