“Woke” originally meant “aware of and well-informed about systemic social issues affecting everyday people”. Conservatives have co-opted this word and use it to describe anything associated with leftism or social liberalism. It is intended to be negative in that context.
“DEI” stands for “diversity, equity, and inclusion”. It refers to policies that intentionally include people of diverse or minority backgrounds in the context of employment or political appointment. Conservatives use it to describe (in their view) hiring practices that select less-qualified candidates of these backgrounds against the favour of those who may be more qualified. In that usage, a “DEI hire” or “diversity hire” is a person hired or appointed solely on the basis of their race, gender, or some other status as a minority even though they are not qualified for the role.
“Woke” originally meant “aware of and well-informed about systemic social issues affecting everyday people”. Conservatives have co-opted this word and use it to describe anything associated with leftism or social liberalism. It is intended to be negative in that context.
“DEI” stands for “diversity, equity, and inclusion”. It refers to policies that intentionally include people of diverse or minority backgrounds in the context of employment or political appointment. Conservatives use it to describe (in their view) hiring practices that select less-qualified candidates of these backgrounds against the favour of those who may be more qualified. In that usage, a “DEI hire” or “diversity hire” is a person hired or appointed solely on the basis of their race, gender, or some other status as a minority even though they are not qualified for the role.