Democrats Must Reclaim DEI—With Pride, Not Apology

Stand for Everyone or Stand for Nothing.

Opinon by: Aisha Staggers

It’s time for Democrats to stop running from the words diversity, equity, and inclusion. The GOP has worked hard to poison those terms in the public discourse, framing them as threats rather than values. But let’s be clear: these words represent principles that are foundational to American democracy. And they are values that Democrats should be proud to stand by—boldly, unapologetically, and without fear.

There was a time—not that long ago—when diversity was something this country at least claimed to value. In the 1980s, ’90s, and early 2000s, we spoke of the American “melting pot” as a point of pride. We taught children that different cultures made America stronger. We celebrated stories of immigrant grit, civil rights triumphs, and the idea that progress meant expanding the table, not shrinking it.

That wasn’t ancient history—it was a cultural response to the very recent past. We were not far removed from the decades when exclusion was enforced with violence. When integrating a school or applying for a job as a person of color meant risking your life. The language of diversity grew out of that hard-won struggle for basic dignity, and it carried moral weight because we understood what came before it.

Now, the right wants to erase that history—and in doing so, erase us.

We cannot say “all are created equal” and then shame people for wanting equality. We cannot proudly sing “this land is your land, this land is my land” and then deny full belonging to people who want to live authentically. We cannot call ourselves a nation of many cultures and then flinch when those cultures challenge the dominance of whiteness or conformity.

DEI isn’t the problem. Hypocrisy is.

Democrats embraced these values during campaigns and on debate stages, and it was beautiful. We saw candidates proudly lift up the voices of queer people, immigrants, Black and brown communities, disabled Americans, and people of all faiths (or none at all). That moment was real—and it resonated because it looked like America.

So why back away now?

Losing an election is not a reason to abandon the people who make up the backbone of the party. For many of us, the GOP does not welcome who we are. We are only “acceptable” if we contort ourselves into something palatable to them—something smaller, something less true. That is not freedom. That is erasure.

What could be more American than a nation where people look different, think different, worship different, and love different—and are still united by a shared belief in justice, dignity, and opportunity?

If Democrats try to go GOP-lite, if they abandon DEI in favor of some vague notion of “unity” that excludes authenticity, they will not only lose elections—they will lose their soul. They will lose the people who believed this party could be a home. And when those people leave, they won’t come back. Many are already wondering if a new party is the only answer.

Unlike the Republican Party, the Democratic Party is not a cult. That is its strength—but also its risk. People here think for themselves. They want more than empty slogans. They want a party that reflects them, that fights for them, that doesn’t flinch when things get hard.

DEI is not just a talking point. It is the proof that freedom is real.

It’s time Democrats say it, own it, and mean it.