Republican lawmakers are backing dozens of bills targeting diversity efforts on campus and elsewhere
1 year, 1 month ago

Republican lawmakers are backing dozens of bills targeting diversity efforts on campus and elsewhere

Associated Press  

— Diversity initiatives would be defunded or banned from universities and other public institutions under a slate of bills pending in Republican-led legislatures, with some lawmakers counting on the issue resonating with voters in this election year. The bills cover a broad spectrum, including measures to reverse Florida’s recent ban on DEI in higher education and measures to require DEI considerations in K-12 school curricula in Washington state. “We want to meet this window with a robust policy agenda.” In South Carolina, Rep. Josiah Magnuson, who introduced legislation to restrict DEI, said the issue reflects a growing sentiment among Republican lawmakers that ideologies disfavored by conservatives grow with the help of campus bureaucracies. “And so I think that’s another thing that’s providing a growing impetus to get our state universities under control.” Not all Republicans are unified about which government approach is best suited to eliminate DEI. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, later said he had only just begun to remove “cancerous DEI practices” and requested a review of diversity initiatives across state government.

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History of this topic

Democratic Gov. Beshear vetoes GOP bill to dismantle DEI efforts at Kentucky’s public universities
1 week, 3 days ago

Democratic Gov. Beshear vetoes GOP bill to dismantle DEI efforts at Kentucky’s public universities

Associated Press  

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed a GOP-backed bill Thursday to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at public universities, declaring that diversity should be embraced as a strength while branding the legislation as being “about hate.” Beshear, who is seen as a potential candidate for the White House in 2028, announced his veto in a social …

DEI programs in college: From scholarships to housing, college students struggle with the effects of Trump orders
3 weeks, 3 days ago

DEI programs in college: From scholarships to housing, college students struggle with the effects of Trump orders

CNN  

CNN — For Daniela Pintor-Mendoza, the efforts to abolish diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives in higher education literally hit home. Here are some of the changes at colleges and universities so far in the wake of the Department of Education’s DEI directive: On-campus housing focused on Latino, Black and LGBTQ+ experiences shuts down The University of Iowa announced last week …

The real obstacle for Trump’s campaign against DEI isn’t Democrats. It’s demography
1 month, 2 weeks ago

The real obstacle for Trump’s campaign against DEI isn’t Democrats. It’s demography

CNN  

CNN — The escalating drive from President Donald Trump and other Republicans against programs to promote greater diversity in education and employment is on a collision course with fundamental changes in the nation’s demographic make-up, particularly among the young. The pushback against diversity programs “is an attempt to entrench racial discrimination and disparities at every level of society and to …

Mississippi Senate passes DEI ban, setting up negotiation with House
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Mississippi Senate passes DEI ban, setting up negotiation with House

Associated Press  

The Mississippi Senate passed a bill Thursday that would eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs from the state’s universities, a priority elevated by Republican President Donald Trump. The Senate bill defines DEI as any effort to influence the composition of the faculty or student body with reference to “race, sex, color, or ethnicity, apart from ensuring colorblind and sex-neutral admissions …

Mississippi House advances bill that would ban DEI in public schools
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Mississippi House advances bill that would ban DEI in public schools

Associated Press  

Mississippi House Republican lawmakers advanced a bill that would shutter DEI programs in all of the state’s public schools, ban certain concepts from being taught in classrooms and dictate how schools define gender. “House Bill 1193 is not just another piece of legislation,” said Rep. Jeffery Harness, D-Fayette. It is a cowardly attempt to sanitize history, to pretend that racism …

Colleges brace for sweeping changes tied to Trump's higher education pledge
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Colleges brace for sweeping changes tied to Trump's higher education pledge

Raw Story  

Now that Donald Trump is days away from retaking the White House, U.S. colleges and universities are said to be bracing for the impact of Trump's vow to end "wokeness" in higher education. Colleges in red states, in particular, are ditching their diversity, equity, and inclusion plans in a move that "both conservative and liberal politicians say" could be a …

Trump wants to change colleges nationwide. GOP-led states offer a preview
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Trump wants to change colleges nationwide. GOP-led states offer a preview

Associated Press  

Nearly a decade ago, intense protests over racial injustice rocked the University of Missouri’s flagship campus, leading to the resignation of two top administrators. “I feel like that is the future, especially for the next four years of Trump’s presidency,” said Kenny Douglas, a history and Black studies major on the campus in Columbia, Missouri. Many faculty departed last year, …

DOGE vs. DEI: Republicans’ promise to purge government diversity initiatives could be wide-ranging, and hard to pull off
3 months, 1 week ago

DOGE vs. DEI: Republicans’ promise to purge government diversity initiatives could be wide-ranging, and hard to pull off

CNN  

CNN — Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the two billionaires tasked with slashing government waste, are expected to recommend an agency-wide purge of spending on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, three sources familiar with their plans told CNN. The spokesperson also said that DOD’s Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity has a staff of less than 15 people and …

California bill would allow public university admission priority for slaves’ descendants
3 months, 4 weeks ago

California bill would allow public university admission priority for slaves’ descendants

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California lawmaker introduced a bill Monday to allow admission priority to the descendants of slaves at the University of California and California State University, two of the largest public university systems in the nation. A movement to limit so-called DEI initiatives at the college and state level gained momentum after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last …

Black Business Leaders Warn Against Companies Abandoning DEI
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Black Business Leaders Warn Against Companies Abandoning DEI

CNN  

Two prominent Black business leaders, Ken Frazier and Ken Chenault, warn companies against abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. They argue that DEI initiatives benefit businesses by boosting profits, reducing employee attrition, and increasing employee motivation. However, they say companies that retreat from DEI initiatives risk limiting equal opportunities for people facing disadvantages due to their skin color, neighborhood, …

Civil rights groups call on major corporations to stick with DEI programs
6 months, 1 week ago

Civil rights groups call on major corporations to stick with DEI programs

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The civil rights groups included …

Black Caucus issues new guidelines for DEI policies and urges firms to help reduce racial wealth gap
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Black Caucus issues new guidelines for DEI policies and urges firms to help reduce racial wealth gap

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Corporate policies meant to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace are legal and should be expanded to promote broad economic prosperity and reduce racial wealth inequities, according to a new report by the Congressional Black Caucus. “In the wake of the death of George Floyd, corporations pledged $50 billion to racial equity and strengthening DEI policies,” said …

Black Caucus issues new guidelines for DEI policies, urges firms to help reduce racial wealth gap
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Black Caucus issues new guidelines for DEI policies, urges firms to help reduce racial wealth gap

LA Times  

Gen. Keith Ellison, center, speaks with Rep. Ilhan Omar and members of the Congressional Black Caucus as they visit the site of George Floyd’s death in south Minneapolis in 2020. “In the wake of the death of George Floyd, corporations pledged $50 billion to racial equity and strengthening DEI policies,” said Rep. Steven Horsford, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, …

A conservative quest to limit diversity programs gains momentum in states
11 months ago

A conservative quest to limit diversity programs gains momentum in states

Associated Press  

A conservative quest to limit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is gaining momentum in state capitals and college governing boards, with officials in about one-third of the states now taking some sort of action against it. Tennessee became the latest when the Republican governor this week signed legislation that would prohibit banks and other financial institutions from considering a customer’s …

Alabama bans DEI programmes and ‘divisive concepts’ in public colleges
1 year ago

Alabama bans DEI programmes and ‘divisive concepts’ in public colleges

Al Jazeera  

The bill, known as SB129, bans publicly-funded institutions from maintaining DEI offices or teaching what the bill calls ‘divisive concepts’ about race and identity. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has signed a bill banning diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in publicly-funded colleges, making the southern state one of the latest Republican-led states to enact broad measures against what they claim is …

Alabama governor signs bill barring diversity, equity and inclusion programs
1 year ago

Alabama governor signs bill barring diversity, equity and inclusion programs

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed legislation that would ban …

Alabama governor signs bill barring diversity, equity and inclusion programs
1 year ago

Alabama governor signs bill barring diversity, equity and inclusion programs

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday signed legislation that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public schools, universities and state agencies and prohibit the teaching of “divisive concepts” including that someone should feel guilty because of their race or gender. “This regressive measure undermines the strides we’ve made in cultivating an inclusive society in Alabama …

Alabama GOP Passes Bill Targeting Diversity Programs At Public Colleges
1 year ago

Alabama GOP Passes Bill Targeting Diversity Programs At Public Colleges

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Alabama’s GOP-led legislature passed a sweeping new measure on Tuesday that would ban state funding for diversity programs at public universities and other government entities, an effort opponents say would undo decades of advancements in civil rights. Lawmakers in the state Senate overwhelmingly passed the new bill, which, if signed into law, would broadly ban programs that …

GOP Kentucky House votes to defund diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public universities
1 year ago

GOP Kentucky House votes to defund diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public universities

Associated Press  

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky House voted Friday to choke off funding for diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public universities following an impassioned debate that had a GOP lawmaker dismissing DEI efforts as a failure and Democrats defending them as pillars of support for students from underrepresented groups. It would prohibit the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, which oversees …

Nebraska GOP bills target college professor tenure and diversity, equity and inclusion
1 year, 1 month ago

Nebraska GOP bills target college professor tenure and diversity, equity and inclusion

Associated Press  

Scores of people turned out Tuesday to testify well into the night on bills being considered by Nebraska lawmakers that target diversity initiatives and higher education programs, mirroring proposals by Republicans across the country. The bills before the state Legislature’s Education Committee included one that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion — known as DEI — programs and offices at …

Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives limited at Kentucky colleges under Senate bill
1 year, 1 month ago

Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives limited at Kentucky colleges under Senate bill

Associated Press  

FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Republican-backed measure to limit diversity, equity and inclusion practices at Kentucky’s public universities won approval from the state Senate on Tuesday after an emotional debate that delved into race relations and what the bill’s sponsor portrayed as the liberal bent on college campuses. Republican Sen. Mike Wilson said he filed the bill to counter a broader …

Utah is the latest state to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus and in government
1 year, 2 months ago

Utah is the latest state to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus and in government

Associated Press  

Utah’s governor signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes the state the latest to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. Headed into the final year of his first term, Cox has shifted to the right on “diversity, equity and inclusion.” After vetoing a ban on transgender students playing in girls sports in …

Florida board bans use of state, federal dollars for DEI programs at state universities
1 year, 2 months ago

Florida board bans use of state, federal dollars for DEI programs at state universities

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The board that oversees Florida’s 12 public universities voted Wednesday to ban using state or federal dollars for diversity programs or activities, aligning with a law signed last spring by Republican Gov. The new law bans the use of taxpayer money to fund programs that promote “differential or preferential treatment of individuals, or classifies such individuals on …

Opinion: Republicans, don’t fear DEI. Diversity offices like mine could only wish to be that influential
1 year, 3 months ago

Opinion: Republicans, don’t fear DEI. Diversity offices like mine could only wish to be that influential

LA Times  

Students march past an ad for a program at an Israeli university as they rally for Palestinians on the UCLA campus in Westwood on Nov. 8, 2023. In 2003, the American Council on Education convened what was arguably the first meeting of all those who led campus DEI efforts or served as chief diversity officers. Moreover, Inside Higher Ed reported …

Republicans vote to cut University of Wisconsin System’s budget by $32M in diversity programs spat
1 year, 9 months ago

Republicans vote to cut University of Wisconsin System’s budget by $32M in diversity programs spat

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — Republican lawmakers voted to cut the University of Wisconsin System’s budget by $32 million on Thursday despite a projected record-high $7 billion state budget surplus, leaving the university nearly half a billion dollars short of what it requested. Evers has said that cutting the university’s budget given the state’s surplus would be “irrational.” Republicans earlier this month …

Republicans to cut University of Wisconsin budget in ongoing fight over diversity and inclusion
1 year, 9 months ago

Republicans to cut University of Wisconsin budget in ongoing fight over diversity and inclusion

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the state’s top Republican, …

Black lawmakers in Texas criticize bill that seeks to ban DEI offices in higher education
1 year, 10 months ago

Black lawmakers in Texas criticize bill that seeks to ban DEI offices in higher education

CNN  

CNN — The Texas House passed a bill Monday aimed at banning diversity, equity and inclusion offices in public colleges and universities, a move that Black leaders say will halt progress and stifle future research funding. Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, a Democrat representing San Antonio and vice chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said the legislation would take away resources …

Opinion: DeSantis’ defunding of diversity programs threatens college life as we know it
1 year, 10 months ago

Opinion: DeSantis’ defunding of diversity programs threatens college life as we know it

LA Times  

Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday that promises to defund diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public colleges throughout the state. A bill like this new one in Florida is particularly challenging for college leaders because what it means by “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs lacks meaningful definition. The DeSantis bill and other attacks like it come at a time …

DeSantis curtails diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Florida state colleges
1 year, 10 months ago

DeSantis curtails diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Florida state colleges

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that blocks public colleges from using federal or state funding on diversity programs, addressing a concern of conservatives ahead of the Republican governor’s expected presidential candidacy. The law blocks public universities from diverting state or federal funds toward programs or campus activities that advocate for diversity, equity and …

DeSantis bans funding for Florida college diversity programmes
1 year, 10 months ago

DeSantis bans funding for Florida college diversity programmes

Al Jazeera  

Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and likely US presidential candidate, says programmes aim to impose an ‘ideological agenda’. Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill to block federal and state funding to programmes that aim to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion at public universities, boosting a conservative push against such initiatives. DeSantis approved the measure on Monday, decrying DEI …

DeSantis signs bill to defund DEI programs at Florida public colleges
1 year, 10 months ago

DeSantis signs bill to defund DEI programs at Florida public colleges

CNN  

CNN — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed legislation to defund diversity, equity and inclusion programs at all state universities, which he called a “distraction from the core mission.” “This is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination, and that has no place in our public institutions,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Sarasota. “There’s nothing …

Florida Republicans pass school bills on pronouns, diversity
1 year, 10 months ago

Florida Republicans pass school bills on pronouns, diversity

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don’t correspond to someone’s sex, building on top priorities of Republican Gov. The state’s Legislative session, scheduled to end this week, has been dominated by divisive cultural issues, with Republican allies of DeSantis …

Florida Republicans Pass School Bills On Pronouns And Diversity Programs
1 year, 10 months ago

Florida Republicans Pass School Bills On Pronouns And Diversity Programs

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don’t correspond to someone’s biological sex, building on top priorities of Republican Gov. The state’s Legislative session, scheduled to end this week, has been dominated by divisive cultural issues, with …

Florida Republicans pass school bills on pronouns and diversity
1 year, 10 months ago

Florida Republicans pass school bills on pronouns and diversity

LA Times  

Ron DeSantis, arriving in London last month, is expected to sign into law two proposals that would ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don’t correspond to someone’s sex. Florida Republicans on Wednesday approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to …

Republican states targeting diversity, equity efforts in higher education
1 year, 11 months ago

Republican states targeting diversity, equity efforts in higher education

Firstpost  

Rep. Carl Tepper of Texas decided to abolish diversity, equality, and inclusion offices in higher education because he was upset with college diversity initiatives that he said were “fomenting radical and toxic divisions.” The Republican lawmaker’s first measure was to outlaw these positions. During a recent Missouri House debate, Republican Rep. Doug Richey put forth a series of budget amendments …

GOP states targeting diversity, equity efforts in higher ed
1 year, 11 months ago

GOP states targeting diversity, equity efforts in higher ed

Associated Press  

Frustrated by college diversity initiatives he says are “fomenting radical and toxic divisions,” Texas state Rep. Carl Tepper set out to put an end to diversity, equity and inclusion offices in higher education. Republican lawmakers in at least a dozen states have proposed more than 30 bills this year targeting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in higher education, an Associated …

Republicans Across The U.S. Are On A Crusade To Eliminate College Diversity Programs
1 year, 11 months ago

Republicans Across The U.S. Are On A Crusade To Eliminate College Diversity Programs

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Republicans have already made critical race theory, a college-level academic theory that examines the role of institutional racism in American society, the boogeyman du jour for conservative parents across the country. But other GOP-controlled states like Iowa and Texas are introducing bills that will ban DEI efforts, programs and initiatives in their respective states, smearing them as …

Opinion: Three little letters that have Florida’s Ron DeSantis on the attack
2 years, 1 month ago

Opinion: Three little letters that have Florida’s Ron DeSantis on the attack

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Khalil Gibran Muhammad is the Ford Foundation professor of history, race and public policy at Harvard Kennedy School and director of the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project, or IARA. Khalil Gibran Muhammad Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project at Harvard Kennedy School Erica Licht Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project at Harvard Kennedy School Now DeSantis is going a step …

DeSantis proposes banning diversity and inclusion initiatives at Florida universities
2 years, 2 months ago

DeSantis proposes banning diversity and inclusion initiatives at Florida universities

CNN  

CNN — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that he intends to ban state universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in hopes that they will “wither on the vine” without funding. In a press release about the announced legislation, the governor’s office called diversity, equity and inclusion programs “discriminatory” and vowed to prohibit universities from funding …

DeSantis probe of Florida college 'diversity' spending set to uncover wasted clandestine millions
2 years, 2 months ago

DeSantis probe of Florida college 'diversity' spending set to uncover wasted clandestine millions

Daily Mail  

Education watchdogs have welcomed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's order for state universities to disclose their spending on diversity and CRT programs, saying it will lift the lid on millions of dollars of wasted public funds every year. Gov DeSantis wants the state's public schools to reveal details about their spending on diversity and CRT schemes This included 11 DEI administrators …

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