Diversity, equity and inclusion, which has become the catchphrase DEI, represents a commitment to fairness and to tackling racism and exclusionary policies that limit access to resources and perpetuate injustice.

The Trump administration’s attacks on DEI frame efforts toward equity and fairness as illegal, wasteful, immoral and shameful.

However, unfair access to resources and opportunities remains a daily reality in American society.

Consider persistent disparities in housing, education and employment that prevent access to resources and opportunities based on race.

These inequalities are also evident in health care and the criminal justice system.

African Americans, for instance, make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population. But they account for 53% of exonerations after wrongful convictions.

As public health expert David Ansell argues in his book “The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills,” these disparities are not just a matter of quality of life but of life itself.

Where people are born and how they live shape their access to health care, education, nutritious food, stable housing and fair treatment within the justice system. This inequity, Ansell argues, creates a “death gap” where

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