Amid legal and cultural assaults on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the private sector, demand for DEI remains high and, indeed, has grown in recent years.
Those are among the findings of a new report by the global communications firm Edelman, which has been tracking popular sentiment around DEI, race and racial relations in the workplace, and related metrics on race in America as part of its annual “Trust Barometer,” which has measured trust in various American institutions for 20 years.
The latest findings, contained in the Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Business and Racial Justice, and based on a survey of over 3,000 respondents, paint a picture of a business landscape in which DEI and other initiatives around racial justice are supported and indeed demanded by a majority of employees—but in which those efforts generally fall short of expectations.
Moreover, the report finds growing expectations for “racial justice leadership” across institutions, including government, private employers, media, NGOs, and businesses (6).
But if those are positive signs for advocates of racial justice initiatives, the report also reveals more concerning trends in recent years.
DEI and other initiatives around racial justice are supported and indeed demanded.
The report finds a “sharp” increase in experiences of racism since 2020, the year the murder of George Floyd by police prompted a widespread national conversation about race and led many businesses to make pledges around racial justice. In this 2024 survey, 50 percent of respondents reported that “I or someone in my family have experienced racism,” compared to 41 percent in 2020 (4).
And while the report finds that a majority of Americans still said they are concerned about “systemic racism and racial injustice,” that number had dropped to 67 percent from nearly 80 percent in 2020 (3–4).
An Unanswered Call
While Edelman’s Trust Barometer goes back 20 years, its special reports on business and racial justice are more recent and have served to focus on the evolving state of public conversation and institutional action when it comes to race and racial justice since 2020.
“We wanted to better understand what people expected from the various institutions that we study, being business, NGOs, media, and government,” Trisch Smith, Edelman’s global chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, told NPQ. “It really has been an opportunity for us to understand what the call for racial justice is and what it consists of.”
The report finds a “sharp” increase in experiences of racism since 2020.
“And what we found is that it continues to be unanswered, at least from our respondents’ standpoint,” noted Smith.
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The gap in expectations versus performance when it comes to addressing racial injustice was especially high when it came to government, Smith said, explaining that “we see this year that government, while most expected to address some of these issues, is in fact the institution that’s failing horribly.”
By contrast, the report highlights a positive shift in trust toward employers when it comes to addressing racial issues.
“‘My employer’ is the most trusted on doing what’s right when it comes to racism, 20 points more than any other institution at 71 percent,” Smith shared.
This would seem to indicate that employees are looking to their workplaces as primary agents of change.
DEI in High Demand
Overall, the Edelman report finds that demand for DEI programs in the workplace has reached a high not seen since 2020, showing a significant rebound. Further, this demand spans various demographics, including race, age, and political affiliation, suggesting a widespread acknowledgment of the importance of DEI initiatives.
Employees are looking to their workplaces as primary agents of change.
Yet those expectations have largely not been met by any institutions, including employers.
The latest report’s findings call for a recommitment to DEI efforts, urging businesses to invest deeply in these initiatives. The role of employers is pivotal, not only within their organizations but also in setting broader societal standards. As Smith put it, “It’s about recommitting, not retreating; it’s about doubling down, not diminishing or reducing.”
In a time when societal divisions are stark, and trust in traditional institutions is waning, the Edelman report points to a crucial insight: businesses have a significant opportunity and responsibility to step up as leaders in the fight for racial justice.
And, argues Smith, this opportunity represents not just a moral imperative for companies but also a strategic one, essential for building trust and loyalty among employees and consumers alike.
“The work has to continue. I think this research helps to demonstrate the value and the importance [of DEI initiatives] to employees as well as to external audiences, consumers, and others from a brand standpoint,” Smith emphasized. “Businesses and other institutions need to lead with confidence, courage, and clarity.”
