Fight back against this assault on DEI. Diversity makes communities and workforce stronger

As the Tennessee state Senate minority leader, I have a profound responsibility to ensure that all voices in our community are heard.

On a historic day in June, at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, the current site where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically assassinated, we kicked off the "Freedom to Be Heard" summer field hearing tour.

Alongside House minority leader Rep. Karen Camper, D-Memphis, we welcomed leaders from various sectors —business, healthcare, education, and law — to discuss the critical importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplaces and communities.

This event was not just a response to the ongoing political assaults on diversity initiatives but also a platform to affirm that our strength as a society lies in our inclusivity.

In recent months, Tennessee’s conservative-controlled legislature and public officials have celebrated the fall of affirmative action in higher education, proposed bans on DEI initiatives in public universities, enacted laws to restrict free speech in education, and even threatened lawsuits against companies promoting inclusive business practices.

These actions undermine the progress we have made towards a more equitable society.

Tennessee employers stay committed to diversity, equity and inclusion despite the pushback

Leaders from FedEx to Amazon affirmed the value of DEI

Our speakers at the Memphis hearing included representatives from FedEx, Rhodes College, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Mid-South Minority Business Council, Shelby County Health Department, and the Memphis Urban League, among many others.

They shared powerful testimonies on how DEI initiatives are not just beneficial but essential.

• Rose Flenorl of FedEx, the international delivery giant based in Memphis, emphasized that inclusive business practices are crucial for growth and profitability in a diverse world. “It’s no secret that diversity creates stronger communities and workforces,” Flenorl said. "Diversity, equity and inclusion at FedEx is fueling collaboration and enabling us to attract, retain and nurture a skilled workforce that drives business performance and sustainability.”

• At our Nashville hearing this July, Tonya Hallett, a vice president at Amazon which operates a corporate office and 12 fulfillment centers in Tennessee, echoed those comments, saying diversity, equity and inclusion is “essential” to the company’s business model. "Our customers represent a wide array of genders, races, ethnicities, abilities, ages, religions, sexual orientations, military statuses, backgrounds, and political views,” Hallett testified. "It is critical that Amazon employees are also diverse, fostering a culture where inclusion is the norm."

• Dr. Michelle Taylor from the Shelby County Health Department highlighted how discriminatory practices from the past have shaped inequities in the social landscape today from housing and health outcomes to education and economic mobility. Taylor emphasized that more direct reform is needed to repair past injustices.

• Monica Newport from Latino Memphis spoke passionately against new legislative efforts to divide some citizens, specifically anti-immigrant legislation. Newport explained how such policies demonize our neighbors and create barriers to employment and education, thereby stifling economic development.

Struggle for civil rights has not ended and must continue

Clear themes have emerged in the first two field hearings from the more than three dozen people who have offered testimony: when communities go unheard in the workplace, whether it be halls of power or corporate boardrooms, talents go underutilized and needs go unmet.

The consequences are far-reaching, affecting everything from public health to economic vitality.

Our gathering at the Lorraine Motel was a reminder of the enduring struggle for civil rights and the ongoing need to fight for justice and inclusion. It reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that every Tennessean has the opportunity to be heard and to build a good life.

This summer, I plan to host one more field hearing in East Tennessee to continue these vital conversations.

Together, we can push back against policies that seek to divide us and work towards a Tennessee that celebrates and harnesses the power of its diversity. Our future depends on it.

Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, is the Tennessee Senate Minority Leader

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee lawmakers are tearing apart DEI and endanger workforce gains