Session 471: America, Post-DEI

Session 471: America, Post-DEI

From Therapy for Black Girls by iHeartPodcasts and Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D.

July 8, 2026 · 53 min · Episode 471

About this episode

Dr. Joy interviews Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley about her experiences and insights on diversity and inclusion in elite institutions.

When Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley first proposed a Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer role at the State Department, the response from HR was polite and dismissive. Years later, she came back and got the job done — on her own terms, with her own budget, her own staff, and a seat on the committee that assigns ambassadors. What she found when she got inside was not what most people assume. Dr. Joy sits down with Ambassador Abercrombie-Winstanley — thirty-year diplomat, former US Ambassador to Malta, and the State Department's first-ever CDIO — to talk about what DEI was designed to do, what it was never meant to be, and why so much of the backlash against it is built on a misreading. They get into the mechanics of how people really get hired and promoted in elite institutions — the secret handshakes, the drug deals, the posted job that was never really open — and what it looked like when the Ambassador's office forced those positions into open competition. She also talks about the psychological toll of watching allies flip overnight once the political climate shifted, what she believes is still happening inside organizations even now, and…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Joy

Guest: Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: State Department, US

Places: Malta

More episodes of Therapy for Black Girls

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Therapy for Black Girls podcast page.