Here is a brilliant socratic exercise on the topic of merit vs. DEI. If you are looking for a balanced discussion, you can't do better than this.
From the introduction: "We began...by discussing whether colleges should abolish Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Some people see it as a complex issue, one that forces us to confront questions about merit and fairness, societal values, the purpose of education, “ideal” levels of racial representation, etc. Are there DEI programs that are actually beneficial? Or have we witnessed more harm than good in their implementation (increased racial division, the eroding of the meritocracy, systemic racism against Asians, totalitarian enforcement mechanism, punishment for WrongThink, lack of freedom of speech, the forced acceptance of scientific falsehoods, etc.)?