In light of the horrendous and tragic plane crash outside of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday, DEI has made its way back into the spotlight. 

So, what does this term that is–in my opinion–widely used to blame one’s lack of accomplishment or education mean? 

D: This stands for diversity. What is diversity, you may ask? Contrary to popular belief, diversity does not only refer to someone’s skin color or ethnic background. Diversity also refers to one’s sexual orientation, religion, and gender. Some examples of this are: 

1. A woman and a man apply for a project management position at an engineering firm. Both of them graduated with a 3.93 GPA at the same university and held a prestigious internship–before applying–at the same company. But, 79 percent of the company’s project managers are male, with only 21 percent women. In this case, the woman should get a slight advantage over the man in the hiring process–in an attempt to level the playing field.
   
2. A recent NYU Stern School of Business graduate is applying to one of New York City’s most prestigious investment banking firms. When she goes to the interview, she wears a burqa. If the company has implemented a DEI program, it would not discriminate against or make a decision on the candidate based on her religious beliefs. The same goes for any religion. 

E: This stands for equity. According to Merriam-Webster, equity means “fairness or justice in the way people are treated.” Equity is different than equality in a few ways. Below are a few examples of equity:

1. An attorney at a Biglaw firm in New York City needs a wheelchair-accessible desk, which the firm pays for. This is not equality because the associate does not have the same desk as everyone else but one that is equitable to him. This is equity.
2. A college student has an hour-long final for his economics course. The student has ADHD and communicated this to the instructor at the beginning of the course. The student is allotted two hours for the exam. This is another example of equity–the student is not allotted the same amount of time as everyone (equality) but an equitable amount of time, considering his diagnosis. 

I: This stands for inclusion. In DEI, inclusion also benefits various groups of people. Here are two examples:

1. A prestigious accounting firm in Miami hires 73 percent of its associates from the University of Miami, of whom 94 percent are Cuban-American. A white graduate from the University of Alabama applies. If the firm has instituted a DEI policy, he will be given a slight advantage and could land a job there because he comes from an underrepresented background. 
2. A New York-based non-profit organization focusing on ending child hunger is expanding its programs to Issaquena County, Mississippi. According to the United States Census Bureau, this county is one of the poorest in the United States, with a per capita income of 13,539 dollars. This organization is practicing inclusion by assisting this county. 

Now that you can better understand DEI, let’s return to the crash.

A PSA Airlines (a subsidiary of American Airlines) CRJ700 collided with a U.S. Army H-60 Black Hawk helicopter during its final descent into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The accident claimed the lives of 64 aboard the commercial jet and three in the helicopter. As of 9:32 p.m. this evening, 14 bodies are still missing, and rescue teams are still at the scene, according to CNN. 

The airspace where the jet and helicopter collided has now become restricted to U.S. Army training by the FAA.

During a press briefing, Trump–without evidence and amid the investigation–was asked if he was saying the crash was caused by diversity hiring and what his evidence was. Trump responded: “It just could have been. We have a high standard. We’ve had a much higher standard than anybody else. And there are things where you have to go by brainpower. You have to go by psychological quality, and psychological quality is a very important element of it. These are various, very powerful tests that we put to use. And they were terminated by Biden…” 

However, DEI policies–especially at airlines–do not mean that a pilot, whether a First Officer or a Captain, is less qualified. To apply for a regional airline, you must hold the following: A first-class medical–which is given by an Aviation Medical Examiner, a private pilot license, an instrument rating–which allows you to fly in all types of weather, single-engine commercial pilot rating, multi-engine rating, have achieved at least 1,500 flight hours, along with other qualifications. 

As the investigation into the crash develops, it’s crucial to focus on verified facts rather than speculation. Those impacted deserve answers based on evidence, not assumptions.