“In addition to giving us countless thrilling moments of athletic excellence, the Summer Games have given the DEI movement the greatest gift it could ever hope for: a picture of success that can inspire people from across the political spectrum … They represent what makes America great: individuals from diverse backgrounds, viewing their distinctive identities as sources of pride, cooperating together to achieve excellence and bring honor to their nation.” — Eboo Patel

The power of the gumbo spirit was on full display in Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The most diverse women’s gymnastics team in U.S. history was the most decorated, with 10 medals total, three of them gold, including the coveted individual all-around.

 From left to right, Suni Lee, Simone Biles and Hezly Rivera celebrate July 30 after winning the gold medal during the women’s artistic gymnastics team finals round at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris.
 Photo by AP Photo/Charlie Riedel  

Team USA members of every racial and ethnic background found success in Paris, bringing home the gold in track and field, swimming, and other events. But the diversity of the women’s gymnastics team has captured the world’s attention, given the historic exclusion of women of color from the sport.

When Dominique Dawes competed in the Olympic trials for the 1992 Barcelona Games, she was the first Black gymnast to ever qualify. She was part of the celebrated “Magnificent Seven” in the 1996 Atlanta games who won the first-ever gold medal for the United States in the women’s team competition.

A decade after Dawes Olympics debut, Gabby Douglas became the first Black woman of any nationality to win the all-around gold medal in gymnastics.

It would be absurd to argue that Black women were absent from Olympic gymnastics for nearly a century because of a lack of talent. It is an equally absurd argument to make about executive leadership in the nation’s top corporations, admissions to elite colleges and universities, or the Oval Office.

The anti-racial justice extremists who want to ban DEI policies would doom Team USA to mediocrity just to assure their own place on the roster.

Diverse organizations – from Fortune 500 companies to Olympic gymnastics teams – perform better than exclusive organizations. People from different backgrounds bring a wealth of different experiences, knowledge, and skills. One study found that diverse and inclusive teams made better decisions than individuals 87% of the time.

Diverse companies see higher revenue , with75% of companies with strong DEI policies in their management teams will surpass their financial goals.

The gymnastics world did not sit passively by and wait for a fully trained Simone Biles to find her own way, unbidden, to the National Championships in 2012. Were it not for a sharp-eyed coach who noticed the tiny 6-year-old on a daycare field trip to a gym, Biles may never have been steered toward the sport. Today she is almost universally recognized as the greatest gymnast of all time.

The leaders of the so-called “anti-woke” movement would rather dominate second-rate institutions than collaborate to build world-class organizations.

We can give thanks, at least, they’re not entrusted to assemble our sports teams.

The writer is the president and CEO of the National Urban League.