DEI Went Wrong with Its First Step

The DEI house was doomed when the first “valuing diversity” foundation block was placed. 

John Green | May 12, 2026

Thankfully, the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mania is coming to a blessed end. Perhaps someday we’ll assess the damage that it did, but for now, our mission should be to achieve diversity blindness. But supporters of DEI refuse to give up easily, and are struggling to cope with its demise.

The New York Times recently sponsored a panel discussion : “Did D.E.I Go Too Far?” From the panel’s discussion, it’s apparent that the “experts” remain as clueless about DEI’s downfall as they were about its potential. The panel included: tech executive Bo Young Lee, Professor Michael Yassa, finance executive Disiree Fixler, and Professor Erec Smith.

That’s a pretty impressive collection of highly-paid help to figure out where DEI went wrong. I spent a few years of my career in the industry too, and I’ll happily answer the question for free. DEI went wrong with its first step.

The panel talked about quotas this, and objectives that, but missed the fundamental flaw. DEI was built on a false premise. Advocates claimed that diversity would make us stronger. They said it would make our companies more competitive. They insisted it would make our communities more harmonious. They were confident that it would make our society more just.

Based on those promises, we created an industry for the sole purpose of advancing........

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