The Current State of DEI in the US: What is Worth Fighting For?

With so many school holidays fast approaching, there are many kids who need interventions right now, and their parents are panicking. Furthermore, the effects of the government shutdown are being felt as Head Start programs are having to close their doors. Families are scrambling, and we are witnessing significant shifts that are having a profound impact on our kids. Today’s guest shares her perspective on anti-DEI sentiment and the current state of our country, affecting both education and the corporate world.

Nadine Jones is a 2003 graduate of Howard Law School, with a background in antitrust and corporate law as a general counsel. In January of 2025, she left that corporate position to work from home as a consultant. As the mother of a special-needs son, she has insight into what parents in the US face today.

Show Highlights:

• Nadine’s perspective on the most immediate risks to legal compliance in the shutting down of DEI programs
• Anti-DEI sentiment, which causes major problems for contractors whose top customer is the federal government
• Diverse workforces and better marketplace competition
• Nadine’s advice for educators who want to do the right thing for their students (in lower and higher education)
• Ethical considerations when funding is not available
• What was so attractive about eliminating DEI?
• Nadine’s thoughts about what’s coming and what our attitudes should be
• The importance of letting the data ground what we do
• DEI work can go on, even when it’s not termed “DEI.”

Resources:

Connect with Nadine Jones

Website and LinkedIn

Contact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org.

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