04/28/2025
From Affirmative Action to DEI: Protecting Women's Progress 💪
The struggle for gender equality has evolved dramatically. What began as remedial measures now addresses systemic barriers at every level.
This is not about politics—it's about preserving historical evidence that's being erased from our conversations.
Why this matters now: Courts are dismantling affirmative action while DEI faces unprecedented backlash, threatening essential pathways to opportunity that took decades to build.
President Kennedy introduced affirmative action in 1961, but women weren't included until 1967. By 1997, these policies had enabled 6 million women to secure positions they otherwise wouldn't have obtained.
As representation improved, a critical insight emerged: getting through the door wasn't enough. This realization sparked the evolution to DEI, which creates environments where all can truly belong and succeed throughout their careers.
The data tells our story:
The Impact of Affirmative Action & DEI Initiatives:
• Medical/Law Students: Affirmative action helped raise women from 50% today
• Law Partners: Combined policies increased women from