Our DEI dilemma

DEI is currently under fire. Photo courtesy of The Brink.

SADIA KHATRI | OPINION COLUMNIST | sskhatri@butler.edu  

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives have been under scrutiny at both the federal and state levels. Recently, a number of legislative policies have been passed that have effectively banned DEI.

At the executive level, President Trump issued an executive order to end diversity-based opportunities and purportedly to restore ones that are merit-based. In Indiana, Governor Mike Braun issued an executive order to end DEI initiatives for job positions within state government and called for the return of a meritocracy. Conservatives and DEI critics believe that initiatives that prioritize DEI give preference to individuals who are allegedly unqualified. Holding a marginalized, minoritized or otherwise “diverse” identity does not absolve a person from having qualifications. 

Additionally, Senate Bills 289 and 235 were recently passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee in Indiana. Senate Bill 289 would put an end to obligated DEI training within public K-12 schools, while Senate Bill 235 would ban state colleges and universities from funding DEI-related offices and campus programs. 

Across the nation, DEI has become a major political hot topic. Legislation negatively targeting diversity and equity programs, initiatives and opportunities within various aspects of academia, corporate America and many levels of government has become more and more common. 

Such censorship is incredibly concerning. Prohibiting any programs or initiatives that focus on increasing and maintaining inclusivity and diversity — core aspects of building strong and supportive communities — is beyond worrying. Ensuring that all identities and communities are properly supported is critical, and recent legislation severely risks this. 

Felicia Williams, a lecturer in the College of Education, emphasized the positive aspects of DEI.

“I think the term has been politicized negatively,” Williams said. “And I think that’s very unfortunate. I think there is a richness to society and interacting with people that comes from diversity. I also think inequities exist in our society, some of which are systemic.”

When certain populations are proven to be systemically marginalized and impacted in disproportionate ways, measures that ensure that all communities are given equitable access to resources and opportunities are absolutely crucial. Within the context of Butler University, DEI feels incredibly important, especially as we approach Founder’s Week celebrations. For a university founded on the principles of abolition, a campus environment that prioritizes equity and inclusion is exceptionally critical. As a predominantly white institution, it is crucial that our campus provides resources, opportunities and a well-rounded curriculum that provides all students with equitable access to a successful education and future. 

Claire Shaffer, junior political science and Spanish double major, emphasized how necessary DEI really is. 

“The whole purpose of DEI is to include marginalized groups that have historically been, and still today, are excluded,” Shaffer said. “The whole purpose of DEI is to even the playing field where qualified candidates from minority groups can also be a part of things. And I think … the biggest misinformation tactic that conservatives use to smear DEI is that it’s supposedly letting all these unqualified candidates in … I think it comes inherently from a place of bigotry and racism.”

Having inclusive and diverse communities, workplaces and campuses ultimately benefits the collective.

Bex DeMarco, a first-year history-political science major, highlighted how DEI programs impact a wide range of people positively.  

“People don’t realize how much DEI entails,” DeMarco said. “DEI programs aren’t necessarily just for who you would think. Some people think DEI is only for people of color and for women or other gender minorities. But it’s also for people, like first-generation students, students with disabilities,

students with religious minorities, all sorts of queer students, low-income students — it covers such a wide range of people on campus.”

While anti-DEI legislation and orders become increasingly prevalent, it is still unclear how Trump’s executive order will specifically manifest within academia, though there should be no immediate action or impact on college and university campuses. But, as more legislation will likely continue to be written and potentially enacted, serious concerns for DEI initiatives on college campuses arise. 

Williams believes that public universities will likely be impacted acutely. 

“I think public universities and colleges will have a little tougher time with it,” Williams said. “ I think there’s some micromanaging or legislative movements that will really hinder them from being able to discuss these types of things. I think [for] private institutions, it really will depend on each institution and whether or not it aligns with their mission and their goals and objectives at the university level.” 

The Division of DEI declined to comment at this time. 

It is unclear how Butler will be impacted by recent, and upcoming, legislation. Initiatives and programs on campus focusing on DEI — such as the Division of DEI, the Efroymson Diversity Center and its associated organizations — provide safe and supportive spaces for students on campus. It is entirely possible that legislation could have a very real impact on the existence of these programs and spaces.   

Beyond the recent anti-DEI orders, many states have passed similar legislation in the past year or so. About 190 campuses and more than 25 states have implemented some sort of change or removal regarding DEI on their college campuses. 

This troubling anti-DEI rhetoric is nothing new, but it seems that such legislation will only continue to become more prevalent under the Trump administration. As DEI bans start to become more commonplace, it is imperative to be able to navigate such legislation.

“Being a community and strengthening our ties to the community and to each other will be more important than ever,” Shaffer said. “It’s really important to get involved in state and local politics.”

In addition to building strong and supportive communities, the role of educators becomes increasingly important. Williams shared aspects of her teaching philosophy that she believes will become more and more important in the upcoming years. 

“I have already had to say to [my students] this semester that there will be things that happen outside in the world that will overshadow what you’re doing in the classroom,” Williams said. “But I think by empowering them to know about social-emotional learning or trauma-informed teaching practices, that there’s a way they can help their students navigate through that stuff in a way that is beneficial to their students.”

The situation on many college campuses, in addition to elementary, middle and high schools, will likely only continue to get worse. Despite this, we must remain hopeful. Resisting censorship and rejecting bans within educational settings is nothing new; there always have been, and always will be, efforts to stop the masses from educating themselves. DEI bans are just the beginning, and it is how we choose to react to and resist all types of censorship that matter. 

In times like this, we must remain radically hopeful.

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