Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a framework designed to ensure fair treatment and equal opportunity for all, but particularly those from historically marginalized communities. DEI can be understood by examining the three categories it comprises. Diversity refers to the participation of people from various backgrounds, often offering underrepresented perspectives. Equity focuses on providing impartial and just access to opportunities. Inclusion requires establishing an environment where each individual feels a genuine sense of belonging and respect. Within higher education, DEI initiatives provide an essential space for those who need it most to have their experiences validated and concerns heard.

DEI in Social Work

Beginning in 2020, Chris Rufio strategically weaponized critical race theory as a political villan describing it as “hostile, academic, divisive, race-obsessed, poisonous, elitist, anti-American” (Wallace-Wells, 2021, pg. 9). This fueled broader anti-DEI efforts, accelerated by the February 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter from the Secretary of Education declaring race-based programming in higher education illegal (United States Department of Education, 2025). Though a 2026 court ruling struck this down, DEI crackdowns continue. At least 33 universities eliminated DEI programs in 2025 (O’Loughlin, 2025), alongside widespread closures of multicultural centers and LGBTQIA centers and changes to curricula across the country. Although social work accreditation standards require classes to teach students how to “advance human rights and social, racial, economic, and environmental justice” and “engage anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in practice” (CSWE, 2022, p. 3), the current political climate threatens this mandate. 

Newly trained social workers may lack the critical education needed to uphold the profession’s core values of social justice and human dignity (NASW, 2022). We therefore urge schools of social work to refuse to enact policies mandating exclusion, discrimination, and hostility (Sonsteng-Person et al., 2023). Without instruction on social justice, race, gender, and oppression, graduates cannot meet the profession’s own definition of a social worker. We further urge social workers to commit to ongoing training and direct action efforts to uphold the profession’s ethical obligations to justice, equity, and human dignity 

Resources: 
Read: An Abolitionist Framework for Collective Action in Social Work: https://apsw-ojs-uh.tdl.org/apsw/article/view/18/8
Read: A policy brief to address anti-Black racism in social work education: https://doi.org/10.1177/10443894241260071
Read: Dei legislation tracker: https://www.chronicle.com/article/here-are-the-states-where-lawmakers-are-seeking-to-ban-colleges-dei-efforts
Get Involved: American Association of University Professors https://www.aaup.org/membership