June 12, 2025: Deconstructing DEI - the future of diversity initiatives in Colorado

In the wake of 2020's racial reckoning, DEI initiatives surged across the country, from corporations to the classroom. But that momentum has taken a big hit in recent months under a new presidential administration as evidenced by federal funding cuts, restructured priorities and arguably a growing political backlash against DEI policies. So what's been learned? And what's next? Chandra Thomas Whitfield hosted a panel discussion at the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library as part of Juneteenth. She was joined by retired senior Denver County Court judge Gary Jackson, community advocate and "actionist" Candice Bailey, Boulder author Rosalind Wiseman, and recent CSU graduate and budding documentarian Jevon "JJ" McKinney.