NPR

Corporate DEI initiatives are facing cutbacks and legal attacks

Corporate DEI positions soared after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Now, due to economic pressure and political pressure from the right, they face an uncertain future.
Corporate DEI programs have faced setbacks amid uncertain economic times and now political pressure from the right.

Just three years after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis set off a torrent of hiring of chief diversity officers and other such roles, companies are coming under attack from conservative legal activists who argue that their DEI policies and programs constitute racial discrimination.

The challenges come as companies, faced with an uncertain economy, have already been laying off large numbers of people, including many only recently hired to implement their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies.

The one-two punch has legal experts split on what's ahead for these efforts, while longtime

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