So Long, DEI 🚪

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Showing You What’s Art and What’s Not in African Tech

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Hello gentle reader, it’s me again with another banger!

I am straight out of watching Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance for the umpteenth time and boy oh boy!

This time, though, I finally found the motivation to open a blank page (after being buried in corporate shenanigans and Q1 madness for too long) and talk about something I’ve been avoiding for fear of retribution.

But in Kendrick’s own words: "40 acres and a mule, this is bigger than the music."

This is bigger than me—so here goes my commentary on the whole DEI debate.

What are the potential repercussions of scrapping DEI in Big Tech, especially for an ecosystem so hell-bent on mimicking Silicon Valley? What do we do as we forge the road ahead?

As usual, do not forget to subscribe if you like my writing (Or me as a person. A win is a win 😎).

Enjoy!

The DEI Rollback: What’s at Stake?

Tech companies spent the last decade branding themselves as the vanguards of progress. From moderating free speech to pioneering remote work to championing climate initiatives—you name it. They claimed to be fully aware of their power and the impact of mishandling it.

Recently, though, Big Tech has been scrubbing its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Meta, Amazon, Alphabet—all rolling back initiatives that ensured talent from underrepresented communities had a seat at the table. Their excuse? Scalability issues and lack of resources.

Let me repeat that.

Billion-dollar companies claim they don’t have the resources to support diversity.

But let’s be honest. This isn’t about budgets or efficiency. The rollback started right after Trump signed an executive order eliminating DEI from federal agencies. And suddenly, the same tech giants that once stood up against him started backpedaling.

See, a lot of key players in tech had fallen out of favor with Trump in his last rodeo. For Mark Zuckerberg, Trump had promised life imprisonment for the way his platforms handled the January 6^th insurrection and whole 2020 election process.

But 4 years later, and our boy wonder is leading the pack as they dance to the piper’s tune.

Mark Zuckerberg is now pandering to the powers that be, even blaming former COO Sheryl Sandberg for pushing the agenda.  Because, of course, like an arrow pointing north, a man’s accusing finger will always find a woman.

He would later backtrack on these accusations and called them bogus.

Our heroes lived long enough to become villains. But its proof that intelligence is more than being able to right a few lines of code.

The Silicon Valley Trickle-Down Effect

As unfortunate as it may be, when America speaks, the world listens. The U.S. remains the global standard, and the African tech ecosystem, in particular, has a history of mimicking Silicon Valley—sometimes to its own detriment. So what happens when the companies that shaped modern tech decide that diversity is no longer worth the effort?

• Systemic derailment of minority talent

• Fewer opportunities for Black and female founders

• A false narrative that diversity = incompetence

The rhetoric is dangerous. It reinforces the idea that the only way to build a successful company is through the narrow, exclusionary lens of the status quo. Yet, history has proven time and time again that diversity drives innovation. Different backgrounds mean different perspectives, which mean better products, better problem-solving, and ultimately, better business.

But somehow, that logic gets lost when it comes to this debate.

"Diversity Isn’t Synonymous with Incompetence"

There’s this frustratingly persistent idea that DEI hires are charity cases. That people from marginalized communities are somehow less qualified. That diversity initiatives are just participation trophies.

Miss me with that.

Let me remind you: The compiler doesn’t care if you’re Black, white, female, or nonbinary. Code runs on logic, and if your work is good, it’s good.

If anything, the reality is that minorities in tech often have to work twice as hard to get the same recognition. The rigorous interview processes remain the same, the expectations remain sky-high, and yet, people still believe that diversity comes at the expense of meritocracy. The irony? Some of the loudest voices against DEI (hi, Elon & Vivek!) immigrated to the U.S. on H-1B visas—a program designed to give foreign talent a chance in American tech.

So when they claim DEI isn't necessary, what they really mean is: "We got ours, now let’s shut the door behind us."

They’re also showing us their underbelly and exposing what everyone has always suspected. They are soulless corporations who only want a better world if they’re making billions.

What Do We Do Now?

It starts and ends with us. If tech companies refuse to prioritize diversity, we build our own third spaces. We support companies that are committed to equity. We amplify each other. We root for each other.

Especially during Black History month, it’s not fair that Black people have to bear the scrutiny of benefitting unfairly from DEI when the data says otherwise (Spoiler alert! White women are the biggest beneficiaries).

We remind the world that inclusion isn’t about charity—it’s about access, innovation, and fairness.

Because you can’t claim you want to make the world a better place while systematically keeping entire communities out of the room.

And in the words of Gavin Belson (Silicon Valley):

"I don't know about you people, but I don't want to live in a world where someone else makes the world a better place better than we do."

Well, Gavin, neither do we.

About the author
Maryann is a 2x startup founder, seasoned author, researcher and all round badass. She currently serves as a Senior Product Manager at a leading African innovation hub and BPO

I’d love to hear your take. Do you think Big Tech’s DEI rollback is just a temporary trend or the beginning of a bigger shift? —I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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