The origins of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs can be traced to the mid-1960s and were based on the idea that, in both public and private sectors, an organization’s membership should reflect the demographics (e.g. race and gender) of the broader population (Krislov, 1974; Golden, 2024; Maroof & Kapate, 2023). References to “systemic racism” in the business community, along with society in general, have increased exponentially since the 2020 death of George Floyd – leading to a surge in espoused activism which included self-examinations of possible racial biases inherent to corporate culture. In response, Fortune 1000 companies pledged $340bn toward DEI initiatives between 2022 and 2024 (Thornton, 2024), increasing the number of Chief Diversity Officers by roughly 170% during the same time span (Ellis, 2025).