Diversity, equity, and inclusion. There. I said it. So, this essay won’t be part of any successful federal grant applications this year. Nor will it be required reading in any federal agency training courses. But I wanted to write this to stand up for these important words, which have been much maligned over the past year.

The reason, of course, is that this phrase has come to symbolize employment practices that the current administration feels are unfair and wants to abolish. The purpose of this essay is to get past the lightning rod politics associated with “DEI” and to focus instead on the values that these words: “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” represent. I want to remind all of us that these are good, important and, actually, very American values.

One of the most wonderful things about our country is its diversity. The diversity of our society brings us strength, cultural vitality and a vibrant economy. When we embrace diversity, it opens our eyes to new perspectives and approaches, expands our horizons, and creates the foundation for a strong society and a strong economy. I would much rather live in a patchwork quilt society that embraces all of our humanity than in one of rigid standards and stormtroopers. We know this inherently – America is strong because of our diversity, not despite it. Let’s not forget this as we celebrate our 250^th anniversary.

This is also a country founded on the principle of fairness –equity of opportunity and entitlement to basic human rights. No kings; no caste system. While our forefathers weren’t perfect (not by a long shot), and our government isn’t either, I think that most of us can agree that equity is an important founding principle and a deeply American one. Who wants to go back to the days of kings and patricians controlling the lives of the plebeian masses? We are all better in a society based on equity of opportunity and protection of basic human rights for everyone.

Finally, what value is a strong society if it doesn’t include all of us? We are an inherently social species, so inclusivity is a fundamentally human value. We should all be deeply uncomfortable that we now live in a country where some American citizens are afraid to travel freely outside their homes because of the color of their skin or their accent; where some people won’t go to certain states for fear of being legally persecuted because of their sexual identity or orientation. A society that only works for some of its members is not a stable and sustainable society. We need to move back to being a country and society that is inclusive and aspires to work for everyone.

So let’s remember that diversity, equity and inclusion are actually good words that stand for important American and human values that we should be embracing instead of hiding from.