Progress of DEI: What's Ahead when the Workplace Turns A Blind Eye to the Past?

Progress of DEI: What's Ahead when the Workplace Turns A Blind Eye to the Past?

Colorful, Engaging, Reimagined:

Embrace a groundbreaking virtual summit that's stirring up the DEI scene! The Rebirth of DEI Virtual Gathering, masterminded by identity and belonging coach, Erin Corine Johnson, is not your ordinary professional conference. Instead of the typical panels or keynotes, it's a melting pot for candid chats, global perspectives, and a community of change-makers, all powered by a shared vision of collective liberation.

For Erin Corine Johnson, a multidimensional artist and community activist, this summit— far from being a response to the political moment— was birthed from the realization that many DEI practices were failing those they intended to protect. "While the current socio-political turmoil has been escalated by the present administration, it's not the root cause," she stated. "The crux of the issue lies in years of performative policymaking without a sustainable, accountable practice to back it up." The summit targets individuals with or without a DEI title, asking, "What can I do now?"

Spanning over five dynamic days, the event features conversations, panels, and fireside chats, all centered around one key question: What's the future of DEI and how can we set off a chain reaction for change outside of shaky institutions? The summit showcases a spectrum of speakers, including digital educators, antiracist scholars, and others who've weathered the storm of DEI backlash and found innovative ways to push forward.

Take Blair Imani, the creator of the popular Smarter in Seconds series, who will discuss creative methods for inclusive education. "In the face of these harsh policies turning their backs on equity," she expressed, "we don't have to surrender. We can innovate."

Across the Atlantic, anti-racism educator and author, Desirée Bela-Lobedde, will shed light on the often-overlooked racism in Spain, addressing the myth that DEI is a solely American issue. "In Spain," she said, "many believe that antiracist work is only necessary elsewhere." Bela-Lobedde's Laboratorio de Deconstrucción, a virtual learning space, serves as a blueprint for the future of DEI: rooted in lived experiences and sustained by a community.

Entrepreneurs, parents, and summit panelists, Louis and Arlene Byrd, will discuss the vital topic of talking to children about racism. Their session, "Raising Conscious Kids," focuses on educating children about inequality systems while preserving their innocence and optimism. "This topic holds personal significance for us," they shared. "We are raising beautiful, Black boys in this world, and we've already started having conversations around race, privilege, and systemic inequalities on social media, openly and vulnerably."

Regarding the future of DEI, Louis offers a straightforward vision: "I believe that the future of DEI lies in ownership. Ownership over businesses, infrastructure, neighborhoods, and communities."

What sets the Rebirth of DEI Summit apart is its focus on involving the everyday person, aiming to bridge the widening gap between DEI practitioners and those who DEI was designed to serve. "Over the past year and a half," Johnson explained, "I've noticed that the rift between those practicing DEI, particularly at the organizational level, and the people DEI should serve, has grown deeper." The summit aims to shrink that gap by humanizing the work and democratizing power.

In Johnson's view, the backlash to DEI is not a reason to retreat but an invitation to reinvent something stronger. "Anti-DEI activists will come for us regardless of what we call it," she said. "What happens when we care for each other, build our own tables, and feed our own communities in spite of them?" This ethos— characterized by radical empathy, community building, and sustained resistance— permeates through each speaker, whether it's Imani's enthusiasm for transnational solidarity, Bela-Lobedde's call for greater racial reckoning in Europe, or the Byrds' mission to raise conscious, aware children. The message is clear: DEI isn't dying; it's being reborn— outside corporations, beyond buzzwords, and in the hands of the community, who never needed permission to do the work in the first place.

** buried inside the enrichment data above, here are a few related DEI events:**

• 2025 ABA Virtual Equity Summit: Focuses on advancing equity in the legal profession, with speakers like MSNBC Legal Analyst and ABA President Elect Michelle Behnke.
• Atos Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit 2025: Explores actionable DE&I solutions amidst global shifts.
• RISE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit: A virtual event centered on DEI, though specific details are not provided.
• 2025 Diversity Leadership Summit: Focuses on sustainable DEI initiatives through storytelling and personal experiences.

1. Erin Corine Johnson's virtual DEI gathering spans five dynamic days, offering candid chats and global perspectives.
2. The DEI summit revolves around the question of its future and ways to foster change beyond shaky institutions.
3. Blair Imani, creator of the Smarter in Seconds series, will discuss creative methods for inclusive education.
4. Desirée Bela-Lobedde, an anti-racism educator, will shed light on the often-overlooked racism in Spain.
5. Louis and Arlene Byrd, entrepreneurs and panelists, will discuss talking to children about racism.
6. Louis Byrd envisions the future of DEI as reaching ownership over businesses, infrastructure, neighborhoods, and communities.
7. The Rebirth of DEI Summit bridges the gap between DEI practitioners and those they serve, humanizing the work and democratizing power.
8. Johnson views the backlash to DEI as an invitation to reinvent it, focusing on radical empathy, community building, and sustained resistance.
9. Imani's enthusiasm for transnational solidarity, Bela-Lobedde's call for racial reckoning in Europe, and the Byrds' mission to raise conscious children embody this ethos.
10. The message is clear: DEI isn't dying; it's being reborn outside corporations, beyond buzzwords, and in the hands of the community.
11. The 2025 ABA Virtual Equity Summit focuses on advancing equity in the legal profession.
12. The Atos Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit 2025 explores actionable DE&I solutions amidst global shifts.
13. The RISE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit is a virtual event centered on DEI without specific details provided.
14. The 2025 Diversity Leadership Summit focuses on sustainable DEI initiatives through storytelling and personal experiences.
15. Lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, family-dynamics, relationships, pets, travel, cars, education-and-self-development, and personal-growth are areas that DEI work can touch.
16. Shopping, car-maintenance, career-development, electric-vehicles, job-search, skills-training, sports, and sports-betting can all be influenced by DEI efforts.
17. DEI work can impactNotes sports like football, NFL, WNBA, basketball, ncaa-basketball, mlb, nhl, hockey, golf, mixed-martial-arts, baseball, racing, and american football.
18. The question of DEI in areas like weather, ncaa-football, and tennis arises, requiring shifts toward more equitable representation and opportunities.
19. Sports-analysis and weather-forecasting, while not typically associated with DEI, would benefit from greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to better reflect and serve diverse communities.
20. Auto-racing and horse-racing, dominated by certain demographics, could be opened up through DEI initiatives to foster a more diverse and inclusive environment.
21. DEI efforts can lead to a richer, more inclusive environment in all aspects of life, from daily living to professional sports, paving the way for a truly diverse and equitable society.

Read also: