Nothing is more threatening to those who crave absolute power than an engaged public that knows and exercises their rights to the fullest extent. Which is why the Trump administration has clearly set its sights on uprooting decades of social, political, and economic programs providing resources and support for historically marginalized communities.
Let’s be clear: the intent behind pressuring corporations, organizations, and institutions in both private and public sectors to drop anything the administration deems DEI is to completely erase trans and other queer people, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants, refugees, disabled people, poor people, working class people, Muslims, and other marginalized communities from public life.
Nowhere is this more apparent than the vicious and intense targeting of transgender people, from denying trans youth life-saving gender affirmative care to forcing the National Park Service to remove any mention of transgender people from the Stonewall Memorial. These cruel, petty acts aren’t just about ignoring the history that bigots in power don’t like—they’re specific, traumatic attacks that deny the very existence of trans people.
Their message to marginalized communities can’t be any clearer: We don’t see you. We don’t hear you. We don’t speak to you. Because you don’t matter at all.
All the while, we continue to face escalating climate and environmental crises that we cannot hope to address without applying the full force of skill and innovation that comes from embracing a fully integrated, equitably resourced, and diverse talent pool. By banning DEI programs and practices, the administration is deliberately hamstringing our ability to create a sustainable, stable, and safe world for us all. Despite all the data pointing to the multiple ways diversity, equity, and inclusion focused practices benefit us socially, economically, and politically, the administration and its allies persist in promoting the lie that we must choose between diversity and quality.
This is a false choice—diversity and quality are not opposites, not unless you accept the underlying belief that “diversity” (meaning anything outside the white supremacist status quo) is inherently less qualified until proven otherwise. Green Americans already know that cultivating communities of diverse thought, abilities, lived expertise, and experiences increases opportunities for qualified people to show their merit, regardless of their identities.
Which is exactly why JEDI principles (justice, equity, diversity, inclusion) are foundational to Green America’s mission and work culture. The articles in this issue of Green American reflect our steadfast belief that these practices are both a moral imperative and good business, and that ending them puts everyone at risk. Critics like to claim that DEI is about vague ideology, not concrete actions, so one of our goals in this issue was to offer accessible, practical advice for how to implement or strengthen DEI policies in your own spaces, as well as suggest businesses you can support. We hope these articles provided you with useful roadmaps for having these important discussions in your own networks, whether you’re advocating for how understanding the ongoing impacts of historic discrimination is essential to provide impactful resources for sustainable entrepreneurs, why we need to support island states—including U.S. territories—in building climate-resilient economies and infrastructure, or why immigration justice and labor protections are green issues.
No matter the rhetoric or spin, the simple fact remains that diversity is our strength. It’s communities working together by including multiple voices and integrating new ideas to create a stronger whole. It’s acknowledging the wrongs of the past and present to create an equitable and just future where our collective resilience ensures that we won’t just survive—we’ll thrive.
