Anti-Bias Trainings Work
False Assumption: Diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings effectively reduce bias and discriminatory behavior.
Written by FARAgent on February 09, 2026
In the early 2010s, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) trainings spread across corporations, universities, and government agencies. Proponents, including antiracism scholar Ibram X. Kendi, argued that such programs could confront racial inequities head-on. They drew on cherry-picked studies suggesting diversity boosted innovation and fairness. Elites viewed DEI as a straightforward fix for historical discrimination, assuming gatekeepers would prioritize merit alongside representation, without favoring ideological conformity.
By the mid-2020s, evidence mounted against these claims. Social psychologist Michael Inzlicht, who had taught prejudice reduction courses for 15 years, published 2011 research that initially supported bias training; later, he documented how such programs often failed to curb discrimination and sometimes fueled resentment. White male millennials entering the workforce around 2015 faced career barriers, as fields like tech and media tightened on perceived privilege. Critics like Compact writer Jacob Savage highlighted DEI's disproportionate harms, while New York Times columnist Ross Douthat noted the political backlash. Atlantic writer Thomas Chatterton Williams pointed out how DEI gatekeepers often sidelined non-progressive minorities.
Growing evidence now suggests these trainings are flawed. Studies increasingly show they lack lasting impact on behavior and can exacerbate divisions. The debate persists, with some defenders insisting on refinements, but dissenters argue for a merit-based rethink.
People Involved
- Jacob Savage wrote a viral essay in Compact magazine around 2023, pointing out how DEI practices hit white male millennials hardest in their careers. [2] He stood as an early voice against the trend.
- Ross Douthat, a columnist at the New York Times, noted the same year that such policies might fuel political backlash by creating a group of resentful young men. [2]
- Thomas Chatterton Williams, writing for The Atlantic, added in his critiques that DEI gatekeepers often picked minorities who shared their progressive views, not just any diverse candidates. [2]
- Ibram X. Kendi pushed the anti-racism idea hard, arguing in his books and talks from the late 2010s that people must actively fight racial inequities or else support racism by default. [3][4]
- Robin DiAngelo built on that framework, stressing in her work around the same time the need for constant confrontation of personal biases. [4]
- But Michael Inzlicht, a social psychologist who had taught prejudice reduction for fifteen years, ran a study in 2011 that showed coercive methods could backfire and increase bias. [3] He later turned critic, warning about modern anti-racism's flaws.
- Lisa Legault and Jennifer Gutsell, his former students now professors, co-authored that 2011 paper, highlighting the risks of forced interventions. [3]
- Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev, sociologists, documented around the same period how mandatory diversity programs often sparked more racist attitudes through resistance. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (9)
“Compact magazine has an excellent piece by Jacob Savage on diversity hiring over the last decade or so.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“Here’s an excerpt from an essay in The New York Times by Ross Douthat.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“Meanwhile, in The Atlantic, Thomas Chatterton Williams adds an important wrinkle to Savage’s argument.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
““As Kendi argues, ‘One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist.’"”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“I got into social psychology specifically to reduce prejudice. My dissertation was about the educational experiences of marginalized groups. I created and taught a course called the Psychology of Prejudice for nearly 15 years.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“Research I conducted over a decade ago, with my former students Lisa Legault and Jennifer Gutsell, now both tenured professors”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“Sociologists Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev discuss how people often respond to mandatory diversity programs with anger and resistance, with many participants reporting more racist attitudes, not less.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
““One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist.””— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“At its core, anti-racism makes arguments rooted in the work of scholars like Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
Organizations Involved
Universities across the United States started pushing anti-bias trainings in the early 2010s, treating them as solid tools for fairer hiring and decisions. [1] They enforced these programs widely. Television writers' rooms followed suit, with DEI rules cutting white men's share from 48 percent in 2011 to 11.9 percent by 2024. [2] The Atlantic magazine revamped its staff under diversity goals, dropping male representation from 53 percent in 2013 to 36 percent in 2024, and white staff from 89 percent to 66 percent. [2] Harvard University institutionalized DEI in its humanities departments, reducing white men in tenure-track spots from 39 percent in 2014 to 18 percent by 2023. [2] Corporations rolled out mandatory diversity sessions, applying coercive anti-racism tactics that studies later suggested could rebound. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (5)
“Universities offer workshops aimed at reducing bias, for example, in hiring. They claim their interventions are based on empirical findings, citing studies.”— “Focus like a laser on merit!”
“In 2011, the year I moved to Los Angeles, white men were 48 percent of lower-level TV writers; by 2024, they accounted for just 11.9 percent.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“The Atlantic’s editorial staff went from 53 percent male and 89 percent white in 2013 to 36 percent male and 66 percent white in 2024.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“White men fell from 39 percent of tenure-track positions in the humanities at Harvard in 2014 to 18 percent in 2023.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“mandatory corporate diversity training”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
The Foundation
The assumption took root in the 2000s, backed by selected studies that claimed diversity trainings cut bias and improved outcomes. [1] Experts cited these to argue for their necessity, but systematic reviews increasingly show no real evidence of success and point to cases where they harmed. [1] Elites in academia and media saw DEI as a gentle fix for old discriminations, figuring it would not hurt white men much and that any complaints came from the unqualified. [2] This view overlooked long-term effects on younger generations and hid emerging biases. [2] Another layer held that hiring gatekeepers would pick diverse candidates fairly, but in practice they favored those with matching ideologies. [2] Anti-racism teachings claimed that just avoiding discrimination propped up racism, a notion that gained traction amid real inequities. [3][4] This bred the idea that any reluctance meant complicity, though it ignored how people push back against force. [3] Pamphlets with phrases like 'combat prejudice' and 'erase racism' promised quick fixes through external pressure, yet growing evidence suggests they raised prejudice levels compared to doing nothing. [3] The framework insisted on active dismantling of systems, which seemed sound given ongoing disparities, but studies now indicate coercion via shame often leads to backlash. [4]
▶ Supporting Quotes (6)
“Now they can cite articles saying diversity is wonderful, and therefore, we need to have this training. Yes, you can cherry-pick articles about the wonders of diversity, but then you’re systematically ignoring the ones where diversity is ineffective or counterproductive.”— “Focus like a laser on merit!”
“the entire liberal establishment insists that nothing actually happened, that the “mild” correction was in fact no correction at all, and that any white man harmed in the process was in fact “mediocre.””— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“gatekeepers have typically favored women or members of racial minorities, but only those equipped with a prix-fixe menu of progressive values and beliefs.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“In this view, passive non-discrimination isn't enough. The framework requires a commitment to actively fighting racism; if someone chooses the path of non-prejudice or non-racism, they are unwittingly supporting passive racism.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“The extrinsic motivation pamphlet used the language of prejudice-reduction that was common on campus in the late 2000s. It urged participants to “combat prejudice” and comply with social requirements to control stereotypical impulses, using terms like “erase racism” and “stop prejudice.””— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“In this view, passive non-discrimination isn't enough. The framework requires a commitment to actively fighting racism; if someone chooses the path of non-prejudice or non-racism, they are unwittingly supporting passive racism.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
How It Spread
The idea spread through private workshops in the 2010s, sold at high prices and pitched as surefire science. [1] DEI mandates swept American institutions starting in 2014, changing hiring in media, universities, and entertainment. [2] Liberal outlets downplayed complaints from white men, calling them baseless even as hiring data showed sharp drops. [2] Corporate trainings became required, paired with diversity pledges and public callouts for slips. [3] Workplaces and campuses used social pressure to demand active anti-racism, making participation non-optional. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (5)
“Offers from the private sector look like pseudoscience. We found workshops involving unconscious bias trainings that costs between $1.000 and $5.000 (9, 10, 11).”— “Focus like a laser on merit!”
“In retrospect, 2014 was the hinge, the year DEI became institutionalized across American life…”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“Especially when the entire liberal establishment insists that nothing actually happened”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“This approach manifested in mandatory corporate diversity training and diversity statements, public shaming for even simple mistakes or misunderstandings, and attempts to get people fired or not hired for opinions that went counter to the anti-racist approach.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“Some of the methods used to reduce prejudice relied heavily on public accountability and social pressure, creating approaches that felt coercive while leaving little room for grace.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
Resulting Policies
After 2014, diversity rules targeted hiring in professions, hitting white male millennials who were just starting out while older groups stayed put. [2] Companies enforced mandatory diversity sessions, assuming they would break down biases through compelled involvement. [3][4] Academic jobs began requiring diversity statements, demanding proof of commitment to anti-racism. [3]
▶ Supporting Quotes (4)
“Because the mandates to diversify didn’t fall on older white men, who in many cases still wield enormous power: They landed on us…”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“Diversity training is especially ineffective when it requires mandatory participation.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“mandatory corporate diversity training and diversity statements”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“Diversity training is especially ineffective when it requires mandatory participation.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
Harm Caused
DEI efforts, including trainings, show growing signs of failing to curb discrimination and sometimes sparking reverse biases, with sessions costing up to $5,000 each. [1] White male millennials saw careers stall as fields shut them out, turning some into critics of the system. [2] The changes targeted those entering the workforce around 2014, leaving earlier generations untouched. [2] Forced pamphlets raised anti-Black feelings more than no action at all, and required programs stirred anger that led to worse attitudes. [3][4] Over fifteen years, hate crimes climbed in the US and Canada against Black, Jewish, LGBTQ, Arab, and Latino groups, even as anti-racism efforts grew. [3][4]
▶ Supporting Quotes (6)
“With an adversarial collaboration team, we have just published a paper that evaluated the effectiveness of such DEI programmes... We found there’s no evidence. And many of the anti-bias trainings haven’t been evaluated.”— “Focus like a laser on merit!”
“This particular attempt at revolution has created a cadre of potential counterrevolutionaries with a clear material grievance against the entire system, especially against its claims to moral superiority on issues related to race.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“This isn’t a story about all white men. It’s a story about white male millennials in professional America, about those who stayed, and who (mostly) stayed quiet.”— People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Men
“the pamphlet with the then-current anti-prejudice messages—the more coercive approach—actually increased prejudice compared to doing nothing at all.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“Hate crimes in the U.S. have surged over the past 15 years, targeting Black people, Jews, LGBTQ folks, Arabs, Latinos, pretty much every protected group you can name. The same pattern shows up in Canada”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“the pamphlet with the then-current anti-prejudice messages—the more coercive approach—actually increased prejudice compared to doing nothing at all.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
Downfall
A 2011 study found that coercive messages meant to cut prejudice instead raised it compared to neutral controls, while gentler approaches worked better. [3] Replications confirmed the pattern, showing external pressure backfired. [3] Work by Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev around that time revealed how forced diversity programs fueled resistance and more racist views. [3][4] Growing evidence from these studies increasingly points to the flaws in anti-bias trainings, though the debate continues.
▶ Supporting Quotes (3)
“We didn't believe the results at first, so we ran a second study and replicated the same pattern: positive effects for the intrinsic approach, but a clear backfiring effect”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“Sociologists Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev discuss how people often respond to mandatory diversity programs with anger and resistance, with many participants reporting more racist attitudes, not less.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
“We didn't believe the results at first, so we ran a second study and replicated the same pattern: positive effects for the intrinsic approach, but a clear backfiring effect for what we might now recognize (by today’s standards) as mild anti-racism messaging.”— When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zeal
Sources
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[1]
“Focus like a laser on merit!”reputable_journalism
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[2]
People Are Getting Tired of Discrimination - Even Against White Menreputable_journalism
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[3]
When Good Intentions Alienate: The Unintended Consequences of Anti-Racist Zealreputable_journalism
- [4]