[absolutelastone]

If you trace back through the executive orders (on then off then on again...) regarding DEI, it starts with Obama. Biden did have several and it seems like things started really getting mandated and serious then, perhaps due to BLM. We seem to have an unstable oscillation going back and forth here until it breaks.

But yes it wasn't just top-down. The diversity statements in faculty hiring started about ten years ago and started becoming mandatory and used for screening at many places about five years ago.