Alicia Keys turns Grammy win into passionate call for diversity: ‘DEI is a gift, not a threat’

 

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At the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, Alicia Keys used her platform to deliver a powerful message about diversity and inclusion.

“This is not the time to silence diverse voices. On this stage, we’ve seen talented, hardworking individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives, and that changes the game,” said Keys, who was honored with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award. “DEI is not a threat—it’s a gift. The more voices we uplift, the more powerful the sound,” she added, referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Keys' remarks come amid recent opposition to DEI initiatives from former President Donald Trump, who has taken steps to dismantle such programs early in his second term.

“My administration has moved to eliminate all discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion policies—these were absolute nonsense—across the government and private sector,” Trump said in a virtual address last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Trump has also proposed an executive order to abolish DEI offices within the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Additionally, last week, he suggested that diversity initiatives at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may have played a role in a tragic midair collision between an American Airlines flight and an Army helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport.

Despite these challenges, Keys encouraged resilience and unity. “When destructive forces try to tear us down, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix. As you can see tonight, music is an unstoppable language that connects us all. It’s beautiful,” she said. “So let’s continue to show up with compassion, with empathy—with what I call soul care. Let’s keep opening doors and dreaming of a world as it should be.”

Also taking the stage at the Grammys, Lady Gaga voiced her support for transgender rights.

“Trans people are not invisible,” the “Rain On Me” singer declared. “They deserve love. Their community deserves to be lifted up.”

She added, “Music is love.”