eTail Palm Springs: DEI head at Forever 21 makes the case for her role amid industrywide rollback

In one of the few sessions focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at eTail Palm Springs, Jennifer Velez, head of DEI at Forever 21, made the case for the importance of her role as a number of retailers roll back their commitment to the concept.

“We’re not the monster some people view us as,” she said. “We’re not quite legal, but we’re still going to tell people what the right thing to do is...and sometimes people don’t want to hear that.”

The answer to the resistance is “rapport building” within the organization, Velez said, though she stressed the process can take years.

“That’s usually my professional advice for other people who are stepping into the DEI space or working in the DEI space: It takes a very long time,” she said. “Most places in corporate America, irrespective of your role, people are going to secretly question the legitimacy of your work.”

Velez acknowledged that DEI has evolved in the last three years, but didn’t address the removal of DEI heads such as herself at other retailers and brands.

• PepsiCo, for example, recently eliminated the chief DEI officer role, creating a position with a broader mandate to engage employees.
• Meanwhile, Target is facing backlash for dissolving its DEI initiatives, and even saw a drop in store traffic after the announcement, per Placer.ai data shared with Retail Brew.

As Velez stated toward the end of her session: “I always say DEI can’t just live with the DEI team. It’s really everybody’s job.”