Formalized diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been implemented at predominantly white institutions over the last 50 years to address student demands for equitable campus environments, changing student demographics, and to comply with federal law. This narrative inquiry explored how DEI staff in cultural centers storied their lived experiences while working in a DEI designated space during this political time when DEI is under attack. Guided by the theoretical framework of critical race theory (CRT) and in using the CRT tenet of counterstorytelling and critical race methodology as analytic frameworks, this study amplified the voices of cultural center staff, a group that is often excluded or limited in scholarship about cultural centers. Three participants engaged in three semi-structured interviews. The findings highlighted the participants' career trajectories and pivotal moments that led to their roles in cultural centers; how these experiences informed the development of a DEI identity; and counterstories about how the sociopolitical climate around DEI shaped, if at all, their work in their cultural center and beyond. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]