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News » Alabama joins growing anti-DEI movement

Alabama joins growing anti-DEI movement

Photo from Natalie Peeples/Axios

ALABAMA, UNITED STATES — Alabama has officially joined the growing movement to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in public institutions. 

On March 20th, Governor Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 129 into law. Effective October 1st, the law prohibits DEI offices and initiatives at state agencies, local school boards, and public colleges and universities. 

The law also mandates that bathrooms in certain public settings must be designated by biological sex at birth.

Alabama is now one of at least ten states that have enacted laws restricting or banning DEI efforts, joining Florida, Idaho, Kansas, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.

This trend has extended beyond the public sector, with major companies like Google, Meta, and the University of Florida scaling back their DEI programs in recent months.

“Cutting back on DEI efforts? Really?” questioned David Stillman, a generational expert and author. 

“If we haven’t been able to talk about our differences in the real world, what will happen in the virtual world? Who is monitoring how people will be represented in the metaverse, or how AI algorithms account for diversity to ensure it is representative of its users?”

The wave of anti-DEI legislation gained momentum after a period of significant investment in such initiatives following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Job postings on Indeed mentioning DEI spiked nearly 30% from November 2020 to November 2021 before declining 23% the next year, according to CNN.

As more states enact these bans, critics worry about the impact on workplace inclusivity and open discussions around diversity issues. 

“While there may be more political correctness around race, that doesn’t mean people don’t have stereotypes. They just don’t talk about them. This makes it more important to share our lived experiences,” Stillman stated.

On the other hand, a Littler survey found that the majority of U.S. executives remain committed to DEI programs despite growing backlash

At the same time, Eagle Hill Consulting revealed that more than half of American workers consider a company’s approach to these initiatives crucial when job hunting

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