DEI gradually received more negative connotations starting around 2022, as it came to be associated with what’s now termed “woke” ideology. I concluded the article with this:“(The) BLM and woke/DEI (movements) became an albatross around the neck of urbanism. How these became linked is understandable; how these became separated deserves exploration.”How did urbanism become connected with DEI and the “woke” phenomenon? Is it realistic to address matters of segregation, economic inequality and economic mobility get addressed in an economic fashion, and not a moral fashion? Pete has more than twenty years' experience in planning, economic development, and community development, with stops in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

Source: Forbes December 25, 2025 08:45 UTC