🍂 Removing DEI

By C. Clark

🍁 Intro Section: The Quiet Shift

When the news began circulating that DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) programs were being dismantled across both government and corporate sectors, I had mixed feelings. Part of me wasn’t surprised. The other part couldn’t ignore the pit in my stomach.

Because for me—and for many others—this feels like more than a policy shift. It feels like a door quietly closing.

“Removing DEI feels like code for getting rid of African American workers, especially African American women.”

🕊 A Familiar Feeling

When I started my career in 1995, there was no formal concept of DEI.People worked—or tried to—within systems that were never built for everyone.Now, with DEI being erased, it feels like we’re right back there again.

Over 400,000 Black women have been laid off.

I hold over 25 years of software engineering experience and two degrees in Mathematics, yet I haven’t received a single response to my job applications. Maybe it’s ageism. Maybe it’s bias. Maybe it’s both.

🌾 Corporate America’s Mirror

Corporate America has always been a contradiction—full of innovation and opportunity, yet quietly toxic beneath the surface.

I’ve learned that I thrive when I can be myself: the one who ensures the team stays on track, that goals are met, and that vision meets execution. But too often, that leadership—rooted in quiet authority—is seen as a threat, especially coming from an African American Woman.

Add white fragility, and collaboration turns into constant self-editing. And that, more than anything, drains my soul.

“I’m tired of struggling against fragility when all I’m doing is staying true to my role.”

🧭 Team Management & Self-Discovery

One of my former jobs hosted a corporate coaching event using the Margerison-McCann Team Management model. According to the quiz, I am a Thruster-Organizer—practical, results-oriented, focused on making things happen.

At the time, I was disappointed. I wanted to be a Creator-Innovator, the dreamer, the visionary. Everyone else seemed to be having fun, brainstorming freely, while I quietly observed and anchored the discussion.

“It turns out the role I undervalued most was the one that defined my success.”

🌉 Connecting the Dots

A year later, while updating my resume, I revisited a moment at WordPro that confirmed everything.

During a client meeting, the team outlined which parts of the project they’d handle. Back at the office, our manager redirected the discussion toward that very section.

When he snapped, “What do you think, Cheryl?” I spoke up:

“Everything sounds great—but they said they’d do that section themselves.”

Silence.

And from that moment on, I was invisible.

It took me years to understand: I wasn’t wrong—I was right.I wasn’t defiant—I was focused.

That was the Thruster-Organizer in me: steady, structured, and honest.

💡 When Speaking Up Is Misunderstood

Being that person—especially as a Black woman in tech—can be isolating. Clarity becomes confrontation. Competence becomes threat.

“I’ve worked in environments where white men—and sometimes white women—were uncomfortable with a Black woman’s precision.”

But precision is my superpower.

It’s how I prevent chaos, waste, and burnout.

It’s how I lead.

🔶 Rediscovering My Design

Through research, I found a description that captured my identity perfectly:

“My combination of Thruster-Organizer and high-level design thinking—bolstered by a foundation in linear algebra and logic—is a highly marketable and valuable asset, especially in AI and scalable systems.”

That sentence made me pause. It was all there—the structure, the creativity, the clarity I’d been seeking all along.

🌿 The Montessori Connection

Montessori education shaped me long before I realized it—self-directed learning, hands-on understanding, and love of order. That mindset still defines how I think and work today.

Montessori Trait	Professional Application	Alignment with Thruster-Organizer
Self-Correction & Iteration	Treats mistakes as feedback loops.	Ideal for AI model refinement & design thinking.
Love of Order & Structure	Organizes systems with clarity.	Supports scalable frameworks and governance.
"Hands-on" Conceptualization	Understands by doing.	Strengthens grasp of geometry, algebra, architecture.
Intrinsic Motivation	Driven by curiosity, not control.	Thrives in autonomous leadership roles.

✨ In Conclusion: Seeing Myself Clearly

The combination of Thruster-Organizer, Design Thinker, Mathematician, and Montessori Mind is rare—and powerful. It defines someone who doesn’t just build code, but builds systems: elegant, efficient, and enduring.

“By silencing the noise of others’ expectations, I can finally hear the steady rhythm of my own purpose.”

So as DEI fades from boardrooms and headlines, I remind myself: I am not fading with it. As things change I am determined to fing my new path—my individual way to thrive in this new environment.

🍂 Endnote: The Season of Clarity

Fall, with its crisp air and shedding leaves, is a reminder that letting go is not loss—it’s clarity.

Maybe that’s what this season is teaching me:

To release what no longer fits.

To see myself, fully, in the quiet.