U.S. House Office of Diversity and Inclusion dissolved
Free Press staff report | 3/28/2024, 6 p.m.
Nearly two years ago, Sesha Joi Moon, a Richmond native and co-founder of a Richmond-based nonprofit, was named the U.S. House of Representatives director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
But CNN and other news organizations last week announced that, as part of the government spending bill passed last Friday, her department will be dissolved.
Dr. Moon, a native of Richmond, said in a statement to CNN that her department will be replaced by the Office of Talent Management under the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will close effective Monday, Dr. Moon said. The change comes as DEI programs and initiatives across the country are facing increasing attacks from critics and Republican lawmakers.
“On behalf of ODI, it has been an honor to help ensure that the United States Congress embodied a qualified and representative workforce that reflected the country’s vast tapestry,” Dr. Moon said. “We would like to thank the Office of the Speaker of the House, Office of the House Democratic Leader, and Committee on House Administration, as well as the entire House community for their support throughout the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses.”
