A tragic accident happened. Instead of waiting for the facts, the Commander-in-Chief immediately blamed DEI.
Well, folks, we’ve finally cracked the code. Turns out, DEI is responsible for everything. From economic downturns to bad weather, and now, apparently, aviation disasters. Who knew?
If you missed the latest, let me catch you up. A tragic aviation accident occurred—an absolute catastrophe. And instead of waiting for the actual experts to investigate, the Commander-in-Chief, with his razor-sharp ‘common sense,’ immediately pointed the finger at—you guessed it—DEI.
Now, just a quick reminder: to even step foot in a cockpit, pilots go through years of intensive training, rigorous testing, and constant evaluations. The standards for being a commercial or military pilot are sky-high—pun fully intended. But sure, let’s pretend that hiring someone from an underrepresented background somehow made them forget how to fly a plane.
Let’s talk about what really happened in the lead-up to this disaster:
1. A hiring freeze on federal employees—because nothing says ‘air safety’ like not hiring people to manage air safety.
2. Eliminating DEI in aviation hiring—which doesn’t actually impact the training or skill level of pilots or air traffic controllers, but hey, let’s blame it anyway.
3. The FAA’s long-standing staffing shortages, made worse by rushed policy decisions—resulting in overworked controllers doing the jobs of two people at once.
Oh, and let’s not forget: The air traffic controller overseeing this situation was handling both helicopter and plane traffic alone, a job normally split between two people. But sure, let’s keep talking about how DEI is the real problem here.
Now, I’m not saying policy decisions made just days before the crash caused this tragedy. But I am saying it’s a pretty wild coincidence.
And here’s where this all comes full circle: Inclusion is about systems and processes that make sure people—regardless of who they are—have the tools, training, and fair shot they need to do their jobs well. You know, the same way pilots, engineers, and air traffic controllers rely on proper systems to do their jobs effectively and safely.
So, when we strip away those safeguards—when we undermine inclusion, equity, and yes, even aviation safety measures—things start to fall apart.
And here’s my question: If removing critical systems and processes in aviation causes chaos, why are we expecting anything different when we remove inclusive practices from federal government and workplaces?
At some point, we need to ask ourselves—are we actually fixing problems, or just looking for easy scapegoats?
Oh and PS. To the trolls who have been filling my inbox of late…prior to applying my capability to creating inclusive organizations, I spent decades creating safety cultures in high risk industries like, oil and gas, infrastructure construction, rail, and yes, even airlines.
Dr. Liz Wilson is a globally recognized and awarded expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion and the author of The Strategic Inclusion Playbook: Your Comprehensive Guide to Creating an Inclusive Organization. She has been a trusted advisor to organizations worldwide, offering evidence-based strategies to address inclusion challenges while navigating complex regulatory environments.
Dr. Wilson is also the founder of Include Inc., a consultancy specializing in innovative approaches to achieving inclusive outcomes. Her academic research and published 8-Inclusion Needs of All People framework has been adopted across the world, navigating legal, cultural, and social norms to address the intersectional needs of all people in efforts to eliminate discrimination. Wilson, L. A. (2023).
Dr. Liz also shares her research and strategic inclusion capability through the Include Institute.
The 8-Inclusion Needs of All People: A Proposed Framework to Address Intersectionality in Efforts to Prevent Discrimination; International Journal of Social Science Research and Review, 6(2), 296-314.
