May 2025 may be remembered as “Catholic Month.” The world’s attention turned to Rome for the historic transition following the death of Pope Francis. Mourners gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica, and the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV captivated millions. Looming above the solemnity were the words of Pope Francis: prioritize the poor, the marginalized, and the rejected, and always defend human dignity. While some in the Trump administration resisted this call, it fervently resonates with American ideals, especially those of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
The Trump administration has made dismantling DEI a central policy, equating it with unlawful discrimination and using anti-discrimination laws to justify rolling back civil rights protections. In the first 100 days of his second term, President Trump signed executive orders to eliminate DEI offices and programs across federal agencies, resulting in the dismissal or reassignment of over 700 DEI personnel and yielding more than $2 billion in taxpayer savings. The administration also revoked Executive Order 11246, which had mandated affirmative action for federal contractors since 1965, and directed agencies to halt DEI-related training, research, and grants.
Administration officials argue that DEI initiatives are discriminatory and that true civil rights require “colorblind” policies that ignore race, gender, or identity in hiring, contracting, or education. However, this is nothing more than a deliberate conflation, using anti-discrimination language to dismantle policies designed to address systemic bias and promote equal opportunity.
DEI has become a lightning rod in American society. Without evidence, the administration has blamed DEI for everything from infrastructure failures and transportation accidents to financial crises, college costs, and inflation. The term is now so overused that it risks losing all meaning, invoked as a scapegoat for nearly every societal problem. It was used as the basis for terminating the Librarian of Congress. The Pentagon, for example, has ordered the removal of all books related to diversity, anti-racism, and gender issues from military libraries, labeling them “divisive” and incompatible with the Department of Defense’s mission. Nearly 400 books were removed from the Naval Academy alone, including works by Maya Angelou. Such actions not only restrict access to diverse perspectives but also signal to marginalized service members that their experiences and identities are unwelcome.
Corporate America is also recalibrating. Facing political pressure and legal threats, major companies have begun rebranding or scaling back their DEI programs. For example, JPMorgan, Target, Walmart, and Citigroup have each modified their programs. Ironically, Johns Hopkins University, which seeks to ensure that conservative values hold a viable place in its community, was found to employ the same strategies used by DEI programs. At Target, sales are declining due to a widespread boycott.
Despite outright distortions, the core of DEI remains vital. At its best, DEI calls us to promote accountability for acts of discrimination by barring discrimination against protected groups and encouraging everyone to take stock of how they might unconsciously contribute to the mistreatment of others. Tragically, the administration is diverting us from this noble path.
Where did we learn these values? For many, they began at home. But just as importantly, we absorbed them in our public schools, those great equalizing institutions that have welcomed all children since our nation’s founding. In these classrooms, students from every background can learn academic subjects and how to live, work, and thrive together as a community. Without a doubt, we have not lived up to these ideals, but our failures cannot be used as an excuse to abandon their pursuit. Research suggests that diverse and inclusive classrooms foster critical thinking, empathy, and enhanced student academic outcomes. Military service has historically served this noble purpose, building unity from diversity and preparing a force ready to defend a pluralistic nation.
Yet today, these institutions are under threat. Public funds are increasingly diverted to private school vouchers and cyber charters, undermining the public schools that serve as the backbone of communities. Vouchers strip funding from public schools, often leading to layoffs, the elimination of programs, and even school closures. Many private schools, meanwhile, are not bound by the same anti-discrimination laws and can exclude students based on race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. Book bans, too, are on the rise, restricting students’ access to diverse perspectives and stifling curiosity, critical thinking, and engagement.
Are we willing to accept a sanitized curriculum that erases the stories of those who have faced disability or discrimination? Do we want a military that excludes people simply because they are different? If we abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion, we abandon our secular civic creed—our country’s theology—the ideas that define us as a democracy.
Let’s not allow the words of Pope Francis to die with him.
Tony McNevin is a member of the DFA Education Task Force