Grammy winner Alicia Keys speaks out in support of DEI efforts at 2025 Grammys
"DEI is not a threat - it's a gift."
These were the words of singer-songwriter Alicia Keys as she accepted the Global Impact Award at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
Keys, in her speech, underscored the importance of diversity within the music industry.
"This is not the time to shut down the diversity of voices we've seen on this stage. Talented, hardworking people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game," she said.
"DEI is not a threat, it's a gift. And the more voices, the more powerful the sound."
The singer made the remarks in the wake of ongoing efforts and attacks against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the Trump administration, which recently blamed them for the recent deadly plane collision last month.
Trump also ordered the termination of DEI efforts in the federal government last week, and placed all DEI employees on leave.
The growing anti-DEI movement is further reflected in Corporate America, where major organisations, such as McDonald's, Walmart, Toyota, Amazon, Meta, among others, have announced changes to their DEI initiatives.
DEI initiatives seek to promote fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly from underrepresented groups, in the workplace.
The recent turnaround on DEI initiatives stems from conservative backlash and a Supreme Court ruling that declared unconstitutional and unlawful Harvard College's inclusion of race as a factor in college admission policies.
In her speech, Keys indicated the resilience of diversity in the wake of the opposing environment.
"When destructive forces try to burn us down, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix. And as you see tonight, music is the unstoppable language that connects us all," she said.
"So let's keep showing up with compassion, with empathy, what I call soul care. Keep opening the doors. The dreams that the world is ought to be, a dream that the world as is ought to be, as the great Toni Morrison said."
