The question is whether diversity statements accomplish the stated purpose. The people best equipped to write a good diversity statement are those who come from

The question is whether diversity statements accomplish the stated purpose. The people best equipped to write a good diversity statement are those who come from privileged, educated backgrounds and are familiar with the specific conceptual framework and jargon of DEI and social justice. It's less likely that someone who comes from a working class or non-Western background is going to be fluent in these concepts. If the goal is to hire more of those people, are DEI statements helping or hurting the goal? This is an empirical question. The recent case involving Yoel Inbar at UCLA provides evidence that DEI isn't just about measuring a candidate's ability to teach and mentor people from diverse backgrounds. There is also a component of signaling commitment to a specific political ideology. I would suggest listening to the interview he gave below, where it's pretty clear that even though he's critical of DEI statements, a stance which ultimately caused him to lose a job offer at UCLA, he's still in favor of diversity and social justice. (Interview starts at 41:30) https://verybadwizards.com/episode/episode-263-free-yoel https://verybadwizards.com/episode/episode-263-free-yoel