Opposition to inclusion and equality appears to be on the rise worldwide. Even in the USA, the land of opportunity and the home of the free and the brave, the federal administration, since taking office in January 2025, has been waging an all-out war against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), acting as if opening society up to previously marginalized persons is a cardinal sin.
This rabid opposition to treating ethnic and racial minorities, women, and other disadvantaged groups is as ignorant as it is shortsighted. History amply demonstrates the advantages that accrue to society when every member is given an equal opportunity to contribute.
One of the most striking historical examples of the benefit of diversity was the rise of the Roman Empire. Rome’s rise to greatness was not based solely on military conquest but on its ability to integrate diverse peoples into the fabric of Roman society.
Rather than excluding or marginalizing those it conquered, Rome extended citizenship, allowed local customs and religions to flourish, and incorporated talented individuals from all backgrounds into its administration, military, and culture. This inclusive approach fostered loyalty, innovation, and stability, enabling Rome to harness the strengths of a vast array of cultures and become one of history’s most enduring empires.
In contrast to Rome’s inclusive approach, the Qing Dynasty in China exemplifies an empire that struggled and ultimately collapsed due to the exclusion of outsiders. The Qing government imposed strict limits on foreign trade and contact, resisted the adoption of new ideas and technologies, and maintained rigid social hierarchies.
This isolationist stance ultimately left the Qing Dynasty vulnerable to internal unrest and external pressures, contributing to its decline and eventual collapse in the early 20th century.
Throughout history, there have been examples of people who, for one reason or another, would be shunned, who, when given the chance—or who seized the opportunity—to do great things.
Harriet Tubman, b. 1822, d. 1913. An African-American abolitionist and humanitarian, Tubman escaped enslavement and then led hundreds of other enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad. From 1862 to 1865, she served as a scout, nurse, and laundress for Union forces in South Carolina.
She spied on the Confederates, obtaining information about the locations of supply warehouses and ammunition, enabling Union forces to make carefully planned attacks.
Hellen Keller, b. 180, d. 1968. Blind and deaf as a child, Keller overcame the physical challenges to become an author and activist, advocating for people with disabilities. She was the co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1920.
Malala Yousafzai. (b. 1997 -) Born in Pakistan, Malala is an education activist who, at age 17 in 2014, became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her global advocacy against the suppression of girls’ education. She survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban.
Wilma Mankiller, b. 1945, d. 2010. Mankiller was the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She championed Native American rights and worked to improve education, health care, and housing for her people.
Stephen Hawking, b. 1942, d. 2018. Hawking was a British theoretical physicist who was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, at the age of 21. Despite his physical limitations, he made groundbreaking contributions to cosmology and black hole physics.
Albert Einstein, b. 1879, d. 1955. Einstein, a German-born, Jewish physicist, faced discrimination because of his religion, and had to flee Nazi Germany to avoid the purges. He revolutionized physics with his theory of relativity and contributed significantly to the advancement of science worldwide.
These are just a few of the people who, because of race, religion, gender, or physical disability, were persecuted or ignored, but who went on to make significant contributions to society’s advancement. Who knows how many others like them are out there, who might be marginalized and prevented from contributing because of the antipathy to DEI?
We have to ask ourselves whether we’ll be like the Romans and invite everyone into the tent, or like the Qing Dynasty and lock them out. The answer could very well determine how the history of the future will view us. | NWI
