The Pendulum and the Purpose: Finding Unity in the Lessons of DEI

The pendulum of American politics and culture swings fast. Ideas that dominate one moment can be cast aside the next. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the rise and retreat of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the country. In just a few years, DEI shifted from being a widely embraced framework for addressing disparities to a polarizing concept—celebrated by some, maligned by others, and dismantled in many institutions. Yet, if we strip away the charged rhetoric and political baggage, we find a deeper truth: the importance of representation, the power of inclusion, and the value of shared purpose.

DEI, not as a practice but as a sweeping social experiment, has been met with resistance, particularly as it was often implemented with rigid mandates and ideological absolutism. Many critics saw it as divisive, enforcing identity over merit, and fostering resentment rather than unity. Some of these critiques were valid, particularly where programs prioritized optics over substance. However, the retreat from DEI should not mean abandoning the principles of representation and inclusion that gave rise to it in the first place.

The question before us is not whether DEI, in its current form, should remain or be discarded—it is how we build something better. How do we create a culture where opportunity is truly open to all, not because of a compliance checklist but because we believe, at our core, that a society functions best when all voices contribute? The answer lies in a principle more fundamental than any initiative: shared purpose.

Shared purpose has always been the great unifier. When Americans have come together—whether in times of war, economic hardship, or social transformation—it has been because of a collective belief in something greater than individual interests. When John F. Kennedy called on Americans to ask what they could do for their country, he did not speak to a fractured people but to a nation capable of rallying behind a common cause. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of a dream, it was a vision of unity, not division—a dream that all would be judged by their character rather than their category.

If we are to move forward, we must reclaim this sense of shared purpose. Representation should not be seen as a zero-sum game, where one group’s inclusion means another’s exclusion. Instead, it should be viewed as a recognition that diversity—of background, thought, and experience—strengthens us all. Inclusion should not be a forced initiative but a natural byproduct of an environment that values contributions based on merit, perspective, and effort.

We must resist the urge to politicize human dignity. We should strive to build a society where people of all backgrounds feel a sense of belonging—not because they were placed there to check a box, but because their presence adds value. Representation should mean access to opportunity, not entitlement to outcome. Inclusion should mean ensuring people feel welcome to contribute, not segregating individuals into predetermined categories.

The pendulum will always swing. But instead of riding its extremes, we should seek to steady its motion. Rather than embracing DEI as dogma or rejecting it wholesale, we should seek to preserve its most essential lessons: that every individual deserves a fair shot, that diversity strengthens us, and that true inclusion is not a mandate but a culture.

Our calling is shared purpose. If we get that right, we will no longer need to fear the next swing of the pendulum, because we will have built something lasting—something that belongs to all of us.

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