Best of the Increase Diversity Newsletter: 10 Quotes From Early 2025 That Made Us Pause

This is #IncreaseDiversity, a weekly newsletter series + Increase Diversity Toolbox sharing best practices for employers who want to learn how to… well, increase diversity. To see previous editions, visit JenniferTardy.com. | IG: @IncreaseDiversity | Increase Diversity - YouTube

Whew, what a year it’s been!

If you blinked, you might’ve missed the big debates, the tough conversations, and the steady march forward in increasing diversity and retention.

Luckily, we caught the best moments and turned them into a snapshot of what really mattered in 2025. Here are 10 quotes that hit hard, made us think, and pushed the work forward.

Quote #1: "The explicit signs are gone, but bias has a way of slipping into new forms. Modern-day America still offers widespread examples of challenges we need to address, such as—Modern, ‘Only US-born’ and ‘Whites Only’ job postings: It may sound unthinkable, but cases of literal ‘Whites-only’ job descriptions are still being reported—even in 2024." – MLK Day: Are We Living Up to His Legacy?

Quote #2: "Black History Month gives us the chance to recognize Black innovators who’ve shaped our world. But it also challenges us to look ahead and create new possibilities. By partnering with HBCUs and non-HBCUs, involving ERGs in sourcing, and engaging with Black professional organizations and content creators, you’re doing what many often ignore, expanding horizons for more talent potential." – Sourcing Black Talent: Three Strategies to Honor Black History Month

Quote #3: "If you wouldn’t want your hiring process stripped of every advantage you’ve had, then you already know the truth—privilege has played a role in your success." – The Meritocracy Myth: If Hiring is Already Fair, Take This Challenge

Quote #4: "Historically underrepresented candidates are not only competing for jobs based on skill; they are competing against bias itself. And that takes a second, entirely separate skillset." – Why Underrepresented Candidates Must Be Twice as Qualified to Compete

Quote #5: "DEI doesn’t prevent merit-based hiring; it clears the path for it by addressing the biases and barriers that have long distorted who gets seen as ‘qualified.’" – The MERIT Model: A Smarter, Compliant Path to Equity, Inclusion, and Sustainable Talent Retention

Quote #6: "Hiring the best talent from [from all backgrounds] is not illegal, so you should continue to do it." – AANHPI Heritage Month 2025: Three Strategies for a Stronger Workforce

Quote #7: "Merit isn’t where you went to school, who you know, or how much access you’ve had. It’s about whether you can do the job." – Leveraging the MERIT Model for Workplace Success

Quote #8: "Mother’s Day is great for celebrating moms, but it’s also a reminder that the American workplace is still failing them." – Mother’s Day 2025: Is the Motherhood Penalty Finally Changing for Working Moms?

Quote #9: "The next iteration of this work may come under a different name, but the mission remains the same." – DEI Dead or Alive: Has DEI Become America’s Schrödinger’s Cat?

Quote #10: "When businesses hire veterans, they are not just filling jobs. They are building a more diverse workforce that is stronger, smarter, and ready to lead." – Memorial Day 2025: How the Military Creates Access, Opportunity, and a Workforce Ready to Lead

Final Thought

The first half of 2025 didn’t give us easy wins. It handed us challenges, hard truths, and a whole lot of noise to cut through.

But we still have the good news: the real work is alive, growing, and stronger than ever. And if these quotes tell us anything, it’s that progress never dies. It just evolves.

Let’s keep going.

Join us in the comments: Which quote resonated the most with you?