A former federal executive with nearly 30 years of experience is now earning $16 an hour, raising questions about the lasting employment consequences of the government’s anti-DEI campaign.
Dia Harris spent nearly three decades building a career in human resources, working for companies including Amazon, Boeing and Johnson & Johnson. By 2023, he had become a chief equity officer in the federal government. Today, the 53-year-old is working part-time at a grocery store for $16 an hour.
Harris lost his federal position during Donald Trump’s elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Since then, he has applied for 561 jobs without securing another full-time professional position, according to a Washington Post investigation published Thursday.
His difficulty finding work extends beyond a competitive job market. A conservative organization, the American Accountability Foundation, placed Harris on a public DEI Watchlist that included his photograph, salary and employment history. Harris says the listing appears prominently in online searches, and one recruiter told him it could make employers reluctant to hire him.
A Career Becomes a Liability
Harris is not alone. The Washington Post examined 43 federal employees named on the watchlist who subsequently left government service and found that approximately two-thirds remained unemployed.
The investigation also found significant racial disparities. Nearly 40% of Black workers on the list remained unemployed, compared with 10% of White workers. The findings do not establish that the watchlist caused every employment rejection, but they raise questions about its consequences.
The American Accountability Foundation defends its campaign as an effort to expose federal employees it believes promoted discriminatory policies. Its president, Tom Jones, expressed satisfaction when asked about the reported unemployment among those listed.
Meanwhile, Harris has depleted savings, relied on financial help from his mother and taken a second part-time job. His attorney is preparing a federal lawsuit alleging unconstitutional discrimination after the Department of Health and Human Services rejected his administrative complaint.
The Bigger Picture
The elimination of DEI positions has consequences beyond federal payrolls. Workers who built careers in diversity and workforce development may face lasting barriers to employment, raising questions about whether their professional experience has become a political liability.