'Richer for everybody': experts explain diversity, equity and inclusion

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion refers to a philosophy frequently implemented in schools and workplaces. Since 2023, 86 bills targeting DEI programs have been introduced in colleges across the country. 

“[DEI is a] three-pronged goal that requires organizations to have tough conversations, challenge the status quo, dare to uncover bias, and create new structures” said Shenekia Weeks, DEI officer for the Town of Chapel Hill. She said in an email statement that DEI applies to a range of identities that can intersect or overlap, such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or age. 

Keely Muscatell, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, studies how inequality, racial hierarchies and oppression connect to people’s physical and emotional health. For Muscatell, the definition of DEI encompasses a breakdown of the three concepts — diversity, equity, and inclusion — that fall under the term.

According to Muscatell, diversity is about ensuring that there is a set of people who represent the makeup of the state of North Carolina as well as the country in every space on campus. 

“Part of trying to enhance diversity is making sure that lots of different voices and perspectives are in a room where decisions are being made, where knowledge is being formed and where ideas are being debated and discussed,” Muscatell said.  

When defining equity, Muscatell said that access to opportunities can differ based on students’ racial background, gender or sexuality. She also said that the “playing field is not level,” and that depending on the context they grew up in, some students can potentially face structural or interpersonal barriers that others may not. For Muscatell, equity in DEI is about evening the playing field by giving students different types of help or opportunities. 

When it comes to inclusion, Muscatell said that it's not enough to have diversity, but that it’s important to ensure people feel like they belong. 

“There's really good evidence that feeling a sense of belongingness and inclusion in a community is predictive of important outcomes like GPA, persistence in STEM degrees, health, and psychological well-being," Muscatell said. 

Frank Baumgartner, a professor of political science at UNC, studies racial issues within the criminal justice system. For him, the definition of DEI boils down to ensuring representation for historically marginalized identities at the undergraduate, graduate and faculty levels. He said DEI is fundamental to the success of any institution in U.S. society right now. 

“In any conversation in class, if there's a lack of diversity that's associated with what we're discussing, such as no women in a conversation about gender, or no racial minorities in a conversation about race, it restricts the lived experience and the richness of the conversation and what people can learn,” Baumgartner said. 

Baumgartner said that the definition of DEI is widely misunderstood, because of “purposeful strategies” by politicians to promote a myth that we’d be better off with systems that are race or gender-blind. 

According to Baumgartner, politicians push the idea that DEI is a zero-sum game, where one person’s gain is another person’s loss. Using a pie metaphor, he said that the myth is if a historically underrepresented group gets a bigger slice of the pie, then it takes away some of it for others. 

Baumgartner disagrees. 

“I think that when we have equity and inclusion the pie gets bigger,” Baumgartner said. “The University is richer for everybody, including people who come from traditionally advantaged backgrounds like myself.”

Both Baumgartner and Muscatell said they felt that their experiences as professors have informed their opinions on the importance of diversity and inclusion. Muscatell said she is convinced by scientific evidence that knowledge, discovery and research improve when there is greater diversity in laboratories, classrooms and teams. 

“That's what we want for our students,” Muscatell said. “We want them to come in and thrive and do well and go out and get the jobs that they want and be happy and healthy. And, you know, creating an inclusive environment is part of doing that.”

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