By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
A FHSU presentation highlighted the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion, also known as DEI, initiatives in different institutions.
Presented by FHSU's American Democracy Project, Black Student Union Vice President Genisis Wilson discussed the role of DEI in education, the workforce and minorities' everyday lives.
"Centuries of slavery, segregation and systemic racism have left lasting scars on the black communities. DEI policies address their long-standing disparities by leveling these playing fields in education, employment and health care," she said.
She shared statistics showing that companies with diverse leadership achieve stronger financial performance. They are also 70% more likely to enter new markets and generate 19% higher innovation revenue.
Wilson cited a 2018 McKinsey Global Institute statistic, saying that achieving full gender equality in the workforce could have contributed $28 trillion to global global domestic product by 2025 at its full potential.
"If we just had a labor market that was equal, our GDP would go up every place we look at and everywhere we look, whether it's revenue innovation or GDP. Having more diverse people there overall puts us higher in every sector," Wilson said.
An attendee asked Wilson about the recent push to eliminate DEI initiatives and policies. She explained that it is a political strategy by the Trump administration to rally support around a common cause, drawing parallels to the sense of unity after the World Wars and 9/11.
"The reason that DEI is such a hot topic is it is something to band together with," she said. "Groups of people need shared enemies, sometimes to come together."
In addition to serving as vice president of the Black Student Union, she is an active member of the Young Democrats, Pre-Med Club, Women in STEM and a vocal activist.
Wilson said while executive orders restricting DEI have not yet impacted the Black Student Union’s events or mission, there are growing concerns about potential future effects.
"We're glad that it's not affecting us yet, but when it does affect us, we have to know that there's a community behind us," she said.
Wilson said DEI must go beyond representation, incorporating structural accommodations to ensure marginalized groups have decision-making power and access to opportunities.
However, she acknowledges some groups, particularly disabled individuals and immigrants, often do not benefit from DEI as much as they should.
"DEI is a stepping stone. I don't think it's an end all be all," Wilson said.
Wilson said the historical misrepresentation of Black leaders underscores the need for DEI in education. She elaborated on this by providing additional background on Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver and Dr. Charles Drew.
Wilson highlighted racial disparities in health care, discussing how systemic racism affects Black Americans' health outcomes and access to medical services.
She said medical biases continue to impact health care quality, contributing to higher infant mortality rates, shorter life expectancy and mistreatment in medical settings.
"As recently as 2016, a [NIH] study found that continued widespread beliefs among white medical students that they believe in biological differences between black and white people," Wilson said. "Including believing black people have thicker skin than white people and that their blood coagulates more quickly."
Wilson said some medical students still believe the false notion that Black people have a higher pain tolerance, which fuels mistrust in the health care system and results in delayed or inadequate treatment.
Wilson provided statistics. Black infants have a mortality rate of 39.9 per 100,000 live births, compared to 14.1 for white infants, and that Black Americans have a life expectancy almost five years shorter than their white counterparts.
As some institutions remove DEI in response to political backlash, Wilson urges others to hold leaders accountable and advocate for DEI policies in workplaces and schools, even if they are not explicitly labeled as such.
"The Black Student Union had a lot of conversations, 'OK, how can we word this away from [DEI]... how can we talk about this without saying DEI?'" she said.
An attendee asked Wilson how to engage with someone misinformed or strongly opposed to DEI. She advised starting the conversation with a simple question.
“Why do you think that way?” Wilson said. “It starts to break down their ideas, and if it's not based on any sort of logic, it’s easily [disputable].”