I think it represents an important set of first steps, and it is really good to see this happening in an official setting. I think something worth emphasizing-- for those economists that still think this whole endeavor is not scientifically important-- is that all research is driven by our perspectives as real human beings. What assumptions seem "natural" in a model? What factors are "obviously" unimportant? What variables are "clearly" endogenous? What might be happening in the real world that drives these observations, or confounds them? These kinds of questions are foundational to all research, and they are heavily influenced by our personal experiences and background. By limiting the range of perspectives, we are going to miss really valuable answers to these questions, that we are likely incapable of seeing on our own. I suppose I'd like to see more emphasis on the idea that diversity is not about sacrificing scientific advancement in favor of equality, but rather that diversity is about sacrificing some personal comfort in doing things as we always have in order to advance as a profession.
