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This is Freshair. I'm Tanya Mosley. After Claudine Gay, Harvard's first black president, recently resigned.

Conservative activist Chris Ruffo posted on X, quote,

this is the beginning of the end for D.E.I.

in America's institutions. Rufo is talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A set of values many corporations and educational institutions deploy to create environments that

welcome people of all races,

ethnicities, religions, genders, abilities, and sexual orientations.

After the murder of George Floyd in 2020,

Corporate America responded swiftly, pledging billions to DEOI initiatives, like creating

racial justice programs and hiring more people of color.

And while Claudine Gay's resignation from Harvard came after accusations of plagiarism

and a fallout of her congressional hearing responses to anti-Semitism,

her departure has opened the floodgates for the conservative effort to dismantle

EEI. Julian Mark has been covering Gays resignation and what he says is a

pivotal moment in the movement against EEI in every sector, from academia to corporate America.

Mark covers Breaking Business and Technology News for the Washington Post.

And Julie and Mark, welcome to Fresh Air.

Thanks for having me.

So in response to the plagiarism allegations,

Claudine Gay wrote an op-ed for the New York Times,

...