Originally found at The Seattle Medium

The ongoing controversy surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion has spilled over into the 2024 presidential race with Vice President Kamala Harris on the path to becoming the Democratic nominee.

...When did workplaces start embracing DEI?

The backlash against DEI may feel like a pendulum swing from 2020, when the nation faced a racial reckoning following George Floyd’s death. But the DEI practice has been around for decades.

Dominique Hollins, founder of the DEI consulting firm WĒ360, said the origins of DEI programs date back to the civil rights movement, which played a pivotal role in accelerating efforts to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which works to eliminate employment discrimination.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, employees began filing discrimination lawsuits with the EEOC, and many companies began incorporating diversity into their business strategies by providing diversity training, according to a 2008 report published in the Academy of Management Learning & Education.

Continue reading the original article at The Seattle Medium.

Read the original research in Academy of Management Learning & Education.