Fear of DEI: Reflections on a 40-Year Career in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Addressing Contemporary Fears Surrounding DEI

Explore the challenges and reflections from 40 years in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), addressing the evolving perceptions and fears surrounding DEI initiatives.

Protest march for equality. Photo by Matthew Bamberg

Defining woke is the path forward for better DEI understanding.

In earlier days, I found joy in embracing the belief that all people are created equal—a principle I carried into my classroom. I moved from desk to desk with purpose, offering each student equal attention while honoring their unique talents. Every child was more than just a learner—they were an individual with a story, a heart, and a soul worthy of respect. Through culturally responsive teaching, I considered each student’s background when planning, delivering, and assessing instruction. Their histories weren’t just noted; they were central to how I fostered an inclusive, equitable learning environment.

From the signing of the Declaration of Independence by a group of Caucasian men with long white hair to the enunciations of Martin Luther King Jr.’s carefully recited speeches, I lamented the freedom, individuality, pomp, and circumstance of peaceful power shifts, and the paradox of resistance and division from social media. Celebrations of a nation of one, where each culture served up recipes of food, dance, and smiles, along with the painful shouts of fighting for their rights.

Segregation’s torment of separation by race — free states and slave ones and the glory of a nation coming together after 9–11, the country has attempted to move forward by recognizing equality and striving to fulfill its founding promise that all are created equal.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have followed my educational career since the 1980s. I began implementing it when teaching in public elementary schools in Oakland and Daly City, California, then moved on to university students in the early 2000s, integrating common sense learning methods. From the pathos of resistance to taking action, DEI is unique to each subject discipline.

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