In June, the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, ruling that colleges can no longer consider race in college admissions. However, the implications from this extend far beyond college prospects and students. It also impacts the workplace.
After the George Floyd uprisings in 2020, many companies publicly pledged and pursued diversity and equity initiatives (DEI) to provide more opportunities to people of color. However, those efforts have flattened in recent years and the new Supreme Court ruling could make things even more challenging.
According to a Revelio Labs study, more than 300 DEI professionals were laid off from top companies like Amazon and Nike since July of 2022.
Now, experts and affirmative action activists are concerned the recent ruling will further restrict the pipeline of college students of color entering or a part of the workforce and result in less diversity across various companies and industries.
Others fear that some companies could use the decision to target and push back on DEI initiatives, which include a broad set of programs to help make the workplace more safe and welcoming for employees across all identities and backgrounds.
Diversity has proven good for businesses according to multiple studies, but time will tell how the Supreme Court ruling affects workers and businesses who change their rules as a result of it.