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PBS NewsHour - The history of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in America

🤖 AI Summary

• Early Efforts: The Freedmen’s Bureau was established in the late 1800s to assist formerly enslaved people, but it closed after seven years [00:39].
• Civil Rights Movement: Black Americans united against racism, leading to affirmative action and the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which banned employment discrimination [01:16] [01:38].
• Backlash and George Floyd: There was a backlash against affirmative action by the 1990s [01:47]. The killing of George Floyd in 2020 sparked a global reckoning with systemic racism, leading to the creation of corporate DEI committees [01:57].
• Recent Developments: Following the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on affirmative action in college admissions, some companies have reduced their DEI commitments [02:24].
• Current Debate: Shan Harper from the University of Southern California race and equity center, notes that DEI has become politicized, although its broader ideals are still supported by most Americans [03:01] [03:37].
• Intended Goals of DEI: DEI efforts aimed to address historical and current injustices related to racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination, intending to unite people and close gaps [05:06].
• Impact of Trump’s Policies: Shan Harper suggests that President Trump’s moves to eliminate DEI initiatives could harm democracy, increase polarization, cause job losses, and lead to costly litigation [05:56].