ART, SPIRITUALITY, AND REVOLUTION: THE UNSTOPPABLE FORCE OF DEI
- Jenise Justice
- May 22
- 3 min read
The dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives is more than a policy shift—it is a deliberate erosion of the principles that uphold justice, recognition, and collective liberation. Yet, in the face of such resistance, we find pathways to persevere, guided by the wisdom of thinkers, activists, and spiritual teachings that illuminate our path.
Kimberlé Crenshaw: Intersectionality as an Unyielding Framework
Crenshaw’s concept of intersectionality reminds us that the fight for justice cannot be siloed. The rollback of DEI is not just about racial injustice, gender discrimination, or economic inequality in isolation—it is about the compounding effects of all these forces. To persevere, we must resist attempts to pit marginalized groups against each other. We must continue to articulate how exclusion manifests in different yet interconnected ways. Rather than retreat, we deepen our commitment to naming the structures that oppress, because what is unnamed remains unchallenged.
Jasmine Crockett: The Power of Relentless Advocacy
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett embodies the relentlessness of truth-telling in spaces that were never designed for voices like hers. She reminds us that policy and legal battles are not won merely through compliance with existing systems but through the bold, strategic disruption of them. As DEI programs face elimination, we must shift our approach from institutional dependency to grassroots resilience. If formal initiatives are dismantled, we create our own. If they take away funding, we redirect resources. We demand, strategize, and persist in the face of suppression.
Unity in Diversity: A Radical Shift of Being
The spiritual principle of unity, woven through the core of all major religions, teaches that we are one—interconnected, yet distinct. Christianity speaks of unity through love and service. Islam affirms tawhid (oneness of creation); Buddhism reveals the truth of interdependence; and the Baháʼí Faith upholds the oneness of humankind and spiritual truth that diversity is not an inconvenience—it is a divine reality. It is the power of diversity moving in harmony, where As DEI is stripped this principle must move beyond policy into embodiment at the soul level. To persevere, we lean into education and community-building . We cultivate spaces where people see beyond rhetoric and recognize that unity is not uniformity but the honoring of our differences as essential expressions of our collective humanity.
Mooji Baba: Awareness and the Power of Inner Liberation
From Mooji’s teachings, we learn that oppression is not only external—it is also psychological. If the structures of society seek to erase the truths of marginalized people, we respond not with fear but with rooted awareness of who we are. The dismantling of DEI is an external disturbance, but what cannot be dismantled is our inner knowing, our unshakable presence that stands beyond systems and policies. Through self-inquiry and unwavering self-awareness, we remain free within, even as we fight outwardly.
bell hooks: Love as a Revolutionary Act
bell hooks reminds us that the struggle for justice is, at its core, an act of love. As DEI is stripped away from institutions, we must not only resist but also reimagine. Love demands that we do not simply fight oppression on the oppressor’s terms but that we create spaces of radical belonging outside of their control. Love means we do not burn out in reactionary cycles but sustain ourselves through community, art, and healing. Love transforms institutions, but even more importantly, it transforms people—and people carry movements forward.
The Artist as the Guardian of DEI
When systems attempt to erase DEI, artists paint it back into existence. When institutions silence truth, artists shout it through poetry, film, and movement. Art serves as a spiritual and cultural archive, ensuring that justice, diversity, and radical belonging are woven into the fabric of society, even if they are stripped from official policies. From guerrilla murals to visionary storytelling, artists craft the alternative reality we must believe in, creating what the system fears most—a world where exclusion has no power.
The Path Forward
Persevering in the face of DEI’s dismantling is not just about policy—it is about strategy, spirituality, and storytelling. We continue Crenshaw’s fight to name oppression in all its forms. We embody Crockett’s defiance in political arenas. We uplift spiritual principles of unity as a divine truth. We cultivate Mooji’s stillness to remain centered amidst the storm. We practice hooks’ radical love as an antidote to despair. And through art, we manifest the justice that systems attempt to erase.
If DEI is removed as a formal structure, we become the DEI we seek. We educate, advocate, create, and build because liberation is not granted; it is lived.
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