This post was updated Jan. 14 at 6:55 p.m.

Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have been slashed across the nation in recent years, threatening progress toward goals of equality.

DEI first gained widespread attention in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement with the enactment of legislation preventing companies from discriminating against employees based on race, gender, religion, age or national origin. Since then, companies, schools and the government have developed internal DEI committees and policies to facilitate equality, but recent changes have jeopardized DEI efforts.

Last year, the United States Supreme Court ruled out the use of affirmative action at higher education institutions, including measures intended to increase the participation of historically disadvantaged groups in college admissions. This year, some of the nation’s largest corporations have notably scaled down their DEI commitments, according to Newsweek.

Furthermore, the rising backlash against DEI was reinforced in the 2024 presidential race. Beleh Toma, a fourth-year history and political science student and chair of the Political Science Undergraduate Council, said political attitudes toward DEI seemed to have grown increasingly bitter during the recent election.

According to NBC, during a call hosted by the Republican National Committee, President-elect Donald Trump accused his opponent Kamala Harris – the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants – of playing the “race card” in her campaign. These claims have fostered antagonism toward marginalized groups, whose successes are increasingly attributed to unfair preference due to DEI.

Ramona Alhambra, a political science doctoral student, also said she believes Trump’s rhetoric against DEI in his campaign has contributed to a hostile social environment in the U.S.

For example, Alhambra said Project 2025 – a proposed presidential transition plan that former Trump administration staffers began writing in 2022 – has been a major point of contention for DEI. The plan outlines a restructuring of the federal government and undoing of DEI efforts such as marriage equality, reproductive health care access and transgender people’s ability to enlist in the military. Now that Republicans have won majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives, DEI is at even greater risk of losing its legislative footing, Alhambra added.

“It’s mainly due to a focus towards these culture war issues that involve people’s identities and more of these social issues than there was before, and it’s very explicit now,” Alhambra said.

She added that vocal pushback from the Republican Party as well as right-wing organizations and online personalities against social justice reform is antagonistic toward DEI. For instance, political commentators Ben Shapiro and Charlie Kirk gave public lectures challenging DEI attitudes at eight college campuses just last fall.

Shapiro’s last event at UCLA on Oct. 21 drew crowds of students to Ackerman Grand Ballroom, with attendees reporting it was powerful to listen to the conservative commentator speak about the university’s alleged left-wing indoctrination. A similar event hosted by Shapiro at Yale University on Oct. 7 drew a crowd of around 1,400 students, according to the Yale Daily News.

While campuses became a stage to promote anti-DEI opinions prior to the election, Trump’s victory has raised the possibility of these sentiments materializing in classrooms. According to the Associated Press, Trump has promised to withhold money and cut funding for schools supporting the LGBTQ+ community or curriculums influenced by critical race theory – potentially erasing diverse communities from formal education.

Jordan Wright, a graduate student in management and vice president of equity, diversity and inclusion for the Anderson Student Association at UCLA, said she believes the reversal of affirmative action is the most influential impact the government has had on higher education in recent years. This decision was justified on the basis that race-conscious processes violate the 14th Amendment, which enforces equal protection under the law.

Alhambra added that students of color, particularly Black students, have been historically underrepresented across UC campuses. For all UC students enrolled in fall 2023, the UC reported that only 4.7% identified as African American, and less than 1% identifed as American Indian.

Besides education, anti-DEI sentiments have also gained significant attention in the business sector. Some of the nation’s largest corporations – including Walmart, Ford and Lowe’s – have rolled back on hiring, sponsoring and releasing information related to DEI efforts, according to CBS News.

Wright said many corporate DEI recruitment and retention policies are being repealed, especially at technology companies – potentially posing conflicts for Bruins entering the workforce.

According to CNBC, tech companies such as Meta and Google have significantly downgraded their commitment to DEI initiatives since 2020. Meta announced Friday in a companywide email it would eliminate the company’s internal DEI team, which supports hiring and partnering with underrepresented groups, according to Axios. Meta’s vice president of human resources, Janelle Gale, attributed the company’s decision to the shifting political landscape on DEI matters recently reinforced by U.S. Supreme Court decisions, according to the same source.

Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of technology companies Tesla and SpaceX, has voiced his opposition to DEI, voicing claims on online platforms such as X and YouTube that DEI is shameful and synonymous with racism – much of which align with Trump’s stance on the topic.

In anticipation of the next Trump administration, Alhambra said she expects more legislation that pushes back on established DEI efforts in the coming four years. Amid uncertainty and anxiety about what is to come when the administration steps in Jan. 20, Wright said DEI allies and people in positions of power need to use their voices and advocate for its continuance.

“It’s a pivotal moment for people who are passionate about EDI, people who know about EDI, to really step up,” Wright said.