Like the infamous break up post it note from the hit TV Series Sex and the City
I Am Breaking up With the Alphabet Letters D-E-I so, Don’t Hate Me
The Breakup: When The Alphabet Letters D-E-I Became Disposable
They called it a “strategic pivot.” The press release was polished, the language vague. “Refocusing priorities,” “streamlining operations,” “aligning with core values.” But behind the corporate euphemisms was a quiet divorce—one that left employees stunned and communities feeling backlash from the breakup.
Ten plus years ago, and again following George Floyd’s death in 2020, organizations made headlines for their bold DEI commitments. They hired Chief Diversity Officers, launched inclusive hiring initiatives, and hosted town halls that promised change. It felt real. I felt the shift in organizational priorities again as I once had in the past.
Then came the silence.
The DEI team shrank. The budget vanished. The Chief Diversity Officer’s role was quietly absorbed into HR. No announcement. No accountability. Just a slow fade-out.
Don’t hate me because I too am breaking up with D-E-I. For me, the acronym DEI has become more of a “check-the box” than a catalyst for change. For me, it appears to have morphed into corporate shorthand that flattens the complexity of what it means to build a truly inclusive, humanistic, and trusting culture. When trust, empathy, and belonging are boxed into a three-letter label, it can feel transactional—like the soul has been stripped out of the mission. Now, be mindful that my point of view represents me doing the work long before the acronym.
This is not a true breakup because I am, after all, not ghosting the work. Let’s just call it redefinition.
Beyond the Acronym: A Culture Reimagined
I did not fall out of love with inclusion. I fell out of love with its branding.
DEI started as a promise—a way to name the work of equity, justice, and belonging. But somewhere along the way, it became a department. A metric. A buzzword. And like all buzzwords, it began to lose its meaning. Additionally, many execution attempts were riddled with role clarity contention and tension.
Like me, many companies are not walking away from the values. We are walking toward something deeper.
A culture where trust is not a policy, it is a practice. Where belonging is not a workshop, it is the authentic way we lead. Where diversity is not just about counting heads, it’s about making heads count.
I’m Sorry -I Can’t -Don’t Hate Me