Dr. Susan Sturm is the George M. Jaffin Professor of Law and Social Responsibility and the Founding Director of the Center for Institutional and Social Change at Columbia Law School. Her scholarship and teaching focus on advancing racial equity and full participation in educational, legal, and cultural institutions, increasing access to justice, and the role of law and leadership in advancing institutional and social change. Her new book is “What Might Be: Confronting Racism to Transform Our Institutions.” We have systems that are dehumanizing many Blacks, Latinos and other people of color. The questions should be how do we all participate in our society? Who is and is not able to participate? How can we strive to make sure they can participate? DEI is a misunderstood term that is often incorrectly used to cover a myriad of generalities, stereotypes and myths. Full citizen participation is critical to a successful democracy.