DEI in Black Minnesota Was Only Window Dressing

If you’re convinced by CNN that President Donald Trump is the bogeyman, think again: DEI has always been our bogeyman.

By Don Allen, Journal of A Black Teacher (2025)

Nuance leaders, not afraid of looking in the blind spots from the beginning, knew that DEI efforts were nothing but folly. Today, in light of President Donald Trump’s executive order against diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, major companies and organizations have killed their DEI rollouts. In recent years, the buzzwords “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)” have been plastered across mission statements, websites, and glossy brochures throughout Minnesota. In the wake of Black men and women being murdered by law enforcement, institutions scrambled to position themselves on the “right side of history,” pledging their unwavering commitment to dismantling systemic racism and fostering inclusion. Yet, as the dust settles, and you look only at the data, it’s becoming increasingly evident that for many organizations, DEI was little more than a box to check—window dressing to appease critics rather than a genuine effort to address disparities. In Minnesota, the DEI effort benefited everyone except Black men. While major corporations, government agencies, hospitals, and universities made up positions internally for DEI, the only people that benefited were those they hired, who some knew - this ride would end quickly.

Long regarded as progressive, Minnesota prides itself on being a state that leads in the celebration of public relations messages and distributing celebratory rhetoric without substance. But beneath this façade lies an uncomfortable truth: it also has some of the worst racial disparities in the nation. In education, Black and Brown students are consistently underperforming in comparison to their white peers. The wealth gap between white families and families of color remains stark, with Black Minnesotans holding less than 8% of the median household wealth of their white counterparts (DEED, 2024). These realities are not the result of individual failures but systemic barriers that have persisted for generations.

When DEI initiatives proliferated in Minnesota, they sparked hope for meaningful change. But the rhetoric often failed to translate into substantive action. Some organizations ensure their websites have sections on DEI and courageous conversations, but just because DEI is on an organization's website does not mean that human capital is seeing real change. Educational institutions and businesses hired Chief Diversity Officers, formed committees, and hosted workshops, only to see those roles defunded or restructured as the national fervor around racial justice cooled. Instead of embedding DEI into the core of decision-making processes, many institutions opted for superficial gestures: celebrating cultural holidays, issuing hollow statements of solidarity, or hosting one-off pieces of training on unconscious bias.

The crux of the issue lies in the intention—or lack thereof—behind these efforts. True DEI work is uncomfortable and demands accountability. It requires organizations to acknowledge historical inequities and examine how their practices perpetuate them. It means redistributing resources, hiring and promoting individuals from marginalized communities, and committing to measurable, sustained progress. Yet, for some Minnesota institutions, the goal was never equity; it was optics.

Take, for example, education. Minnesota’s public schools are among the most segregated in the country, with schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul disproportionately serving students of color who lack access to the same resources and opportunities as their peers in affluent, predominantly white suburbs. Despite years of DEI initiatives in education, many districts have failed to close achievement gaps or hire more teachers of color, with Black teachers in particular leaving the profession at alarming rates. These are not coincidences—they result from systems prioritizing performative allyship over transformative change.

MN-based Target Corporation Rolls Back DEI Efforts
The corporate sector is no better. Several Minnesota companies pledged millions toward racial equity in 2020, but questions remain about where that money went. Did it go toward creating equitable opportunities for employees of color, or was it funneled into PR campaigns to bolster public perception? Many workers of color report that despite DEI programs, they continue to face microaggressions, pay disparities, and limited opportunities for advancement. While social media has provided a platform for those to actively attack Minnesota base Target Corporation for its rollback of DEI efforts, you have to think about when Black Minnesota has ever had the human capital to change anything; the answer is never. I will continue to shop at Target.

It’s easy to look back at the DEI fervor of the past few years and see progress. However, progress is not measured by the number of diversity statements released or workshops hosted. Progress is measured by outcomes: by the number of Black and Brown Minnesotans thriving in schools, workplaces, and communities. It’s measured by closing the gaps in wealth, health, and education that have plagued this state for decades.

For those truly committed to DEI, the work doesn’t end when the headlines fade. It requires ongoing investment, tough conversations, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. It means hiring and supporting leaders of color—not as tokens but as decision-makers with the authority to drive change. It means creating pipelines for underrepresented communities to access opportunities and holding leaders accountable for results.

Minnesota must move beyond treating DEI as a trend or a crisis response and recognize it as a moral and economic imperative. The state’s future depends on its ability to provide equitable opportunities for all its residents. Anything less is a disservice to the communities that have long been left behind.

It’s time to strip away the window dressing and look at what’s behind it. If DEI is to be more than a fleeting slogan, it requires courage, commitment, and action from every corner of Minnesota. Only then will we begin to live up to the promises so many have made but so few have kept.