Patricia Mota, MPA’s Post

🌟📢 Killing DEI: The Urgent Need for Inclusive Programs 🌟📢 Senate Republicans have introduced the "Dismantle DEI Act of 2024," aiming to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from federal agencies and educational institutions. Here are three critical points: 1️⃣ Federal Funding Targeted: The bill proposes to cut off federal funding for DEI programs in colleges and universities, impacting efforts to promote equal opportunity and fair treatment. 🏫❌ 2️⃣ Broader Scope: Beyond higher education, the bill seeks to eliminate DEI offices, officers, and training courses across all federal agencies. This move threatens to undo decades of progress in fostering inclusive workplaces and communities. 🌐🚫 3️⃣ A Divisive Narrative: Proponents argue that DEI initiatives are divisive, but we know they are crucial for creating environments where everyone feels valued and respected. This bill undermines the mission of DEI and the positive impact it has on society. 🌟🤝 Let's stand together for diversity and inclusion. Explore our training and coaching services to empower your organization with the tools needed to navigate these challenging times. Together, we can make a difference! 🌟 #DiversityMatters #InclusionForAll #SupportDEI https://lnkd.in/e78A8-Dg

Florida has been nefarious in its implementation of SB266, which states public universities must not use state dollars to fund DEI initiatives. The language of SB266 was broad, so the implementation was passed off to the Board of Governors, who, instead of providing oversight, amplified the intent of the bill. Not only are DEI programs being dismantled, but campus activism has been stifled as well, as social topics "polarize or divide society among" certain beliefs. The harm does not just cover social spaces but the academic space as well, as the Florida State Board of Ed happily hacked into the curriculum and cut the "radically woke" course Principles of Sociology. I've been seriously concerned about UNF for a while, but also, of course, I'm concerned about UF. Over a year ago, the Florida Board of Governors installed Ben Sasse, the adorable, smiling U.S. Senator from Nebraska who spoke against Trump while in the Senate, to lead UF. While Sasse seems well-adjusted, when it comes to the issue of student rights and equality, this person -- who was installed "in consultation with an outside consultant" in such a way that the UF Faculty Senate subsequently approved a formal no-confidence vote -- is very unlikely to put up resistance against the state's initiatives to harm LGBTQ+ students. So, with that context, I can share that The University of Florida has dismissed all DEI employees and eliminated their roles in order to stay in compliance with SB 266:

Project 2025 and Trump want to abolish the Department of Education and Head Start Trump tells voters on his campaign site a few ways he would manage education:  Cut federal funding for schools that are “pushing critical race theory or gender ideology on our children” and open civil rights investigations into them for race-based discrimination.  End access for trans youth to sports.  Create a body that will certify teachers who “embrace patriotic values”.  Reward districts that get rid of teacher tenure.  Adopt a parents’ bill of rights. Implement direct elections of school principals by parents. https://lnkd.in/gWkNjUf5

Diversity, equity and inclusion programs have come under attack in boardrooms, state legislatures and college campuses across the country. Since 2023, 81 anti-DEI bills that target programs at colleges have been introduced in 28 states and in Congress, according to a tally by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Eight have been signed into law, in states like Texas and Florida. A 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 52% of employed U.S. adults say they have DEI trainings or meetings at work, and 33% say they have a designated staff member who promotes DEI. But recently, some companies have slashed teams dedicated to DEI and wealthy corporate leaders such as Bill Ackman and Elon Musk have made posts on social media that decried diversity programs. Critics say DEI programs are discriminatory and attempt to solve racial discrimination by disadvantaging other groups, particularly White Americans. But supporters and industry experts insist the decades-old practice has been politicized and is widely misunderstood. The backlash against DEI may feel like a pendulum swing from 2020, but the DEI practice has been around for decades. Here's what to know ⬇️

Today, I'm overwhelmed with emotions and thoughts I can't express. I'm frustrated by the false portrayal of DEI work, which unfairly demonizes those of us in the field. It's exhausting to constantly confront racist ideologies in every sphere. And I am getting tired of having to hold my tongue & mencing words about it too. Texas State Sen. Brandon Creighton said In the letter, he warns that “merely renaming DEI offices or positions” is not complying with SB 17, and that universities’ funding could be frozen or they could face legal action if they don’t comply. “Now that SB 17 is law, I’m confident that Texas public colleges and universities can return to their core mission of innovation and education – and if they do not, the Texas Senate will be resolute in enforcement of this legislation,” wrote Creighton. What the hell does this even mean? Return? UT had to shutter the Division of Campus and Community Engagement (DCCE), after changing the name and replacing the word DIVERSITY with CAMPUS, which recently hosted a campus-wide women’s history month celebration, and offered a restorative justice program to help students address problems in relationship dynamics. UT President Jay Hartzell said disability services, University Interscholastic League, UT charter schools, and other “volunteer and community programs” will be continued as part of other divisions. Funding that was used to support DEI will be “redeployed to support teaching and research.” Today, I am really over it. DEI in the Month of March was replaced with “The N Word” essentially on the Internet. I'm tired of battling white extremism, misinformation, and the misconception that my expertise did not get me here, but “DEI did and not merit.” #socialtalk #history #dei #faculty #professor #DoddsEducates #UnitedStates #USA #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Polialertcom #governnment #Education #Diversity #Inclusion #America #HigherEducation #SB17 #Texas

-And colleges are failing to make an effective case for themselves. Among the forces making it so hard: -The diploma divide: Educational attainment is one of the strongest predictors of partisan affiliation among voters today. -Polarization: Democrats and Republicans speak to different audiences in rival media ecosystems. -Consumerism: In the past, when Democrats and Republicans alike poured money into colleges, higher ed slipped away from articulating how it can help the public good. Instead it emphasized the individual benefits of earning a degree. -The overselling of the sector: Politicians and college presidents didn’t do higher ed any favors by hyping it as a solution to the Herculean task of fixing socioeconomic inequality. -Wedge issues: DEI, protections for LGBTQ students, campus protests, antisemitism, and even immigration have come to a head on college campuses in the last decade. -Campus constituencies at odds: Students, faculty members, administrators, and board members struggle to get on the same page.’

Extract-Anti-racism charter This framework is a response to the ‘Barriers’ report which was based on the testimony of over 1,000 Black teachers about the impact of racism in their workplaces. To address some of the concerns arising from that report, I discussed with the NEU executive the need to help teachers develop anti-racist approaches in schools and workplaces. After further consultation and a pilot phase, this framework was launched in 2020 to help all schools and colleges in their work for just and inclusive education for children, young people and staff. The Black school/college population is growing in number and breadth and the continuing discussions of inequalities have centred around disproportionate exclusions and the so-called ‘attainment gap’. However, debates have tended to treat these as if they were stand-alone issues, without a broader structural and power analysis of race and racism and their effects on children and young people. There are many aspects of race that impact education, for example in recruitment, retention and progression of Black staff; an ethnocentric curriculum; racial hate crime – which doubled in the two years after the Brexit vote in 2016; racial harassment and discrimination against staff and pupils and the persistent disproportionality in exclusions of Black, GRT and SEND children. Thousands of students are also excluded every year because of racist behaviour…. Why do we need an explicit anti-racist approach? Race and racism are not well understood – ‘race’ is a social construct, but race is mistakenly and widely used to denote difference. Racism is very real and yet often we deny it affects us, our behaviours or our school/ college – whereas it affects every single student. The majority of the people around the globe are not white and yet ideas about white superiority are still deeply influential and prevalent. Black teachers and staff face a range of discriminations, including in recruitment, career and pay progression rates and also in relation to issues such as appraisal and job evaluations. There is a growing ‘blame the foreigners’ narrative for strains on schools and colleges (and the NHS and all public services) which if unchecked will lead to increasing racism… https://lnkd.in/epNEKSUv

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belong to those who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X If you didn't know how devastating Project 2025 will be to education, now you do... "Project 2025’s education agenda proposes a drastic overhaul of federal education policy, from early childhood through higher education. Here’s just a sample of the Project 2025 education-related recommendations: *Dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (ED) *Eliminate the Head Start program for young children in poverty *Discontinue the Title I program that provides federal funding to schools serving low-income children *Rescind federal civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ students *Undercut federal capacity to enforce civil rights law *Reduce federal funding for students with disabilities and remove guardrails designed to ensure these children are adequately served by schools *Promote universal private school choice * Privatize the federal student loan portfolio It’s an outrageous list, and that’s just the start of it." https://lnkd.in/egEUQm8g

The ongoing debate regarding diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in colleges and universities is intensifying nationwide. The increasing backlash to previous DEI programs has gained momentum. In the PBS series, Race Matters, John Yang delves deeper into the reasons behind this dispute and its implications on higher education. #diversity #equity #inclusion #USC

So many people often ask me how strong the backlash against DEI and anti-racist practice really is? Well, there are now 30 states that have either introduced, passed into law, or are on watch to do so. So that is 60% of the states in this country! Yet people loved to say "this is not who we are." Evidently, it is exactly who we are. As Kentucky and Alabama recently became two other Confederate states to pass anti-DEI laws, it is not lost on me that the same states that aggressively moved to enact Jim Crow laws, are now doing the same with anti-DEI laws. History has a way of repeating itself. And the individuals who view calling out the history of racism in this country and the continued racism in this country as "divisive," are doing the same thing as their ancestors did to people who called out the evils of slavery and Jim Crow laws in this country. The backlash to the scant progress we made in 2020 is being driven by individuals who probably never wanted Jim Crow to end and do not believe in a diverse, equitable and inclusive society. So how can we respond to this legislative assault on the rights of marginalized individuals? ✅ We must continue to talk about the purpose of DEI, which is to counter discrimination, improve a sense of inclusion for those who have been historically excluded, and to reduce the harm of individuals who constantly suffer from the experience of encountering racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of bias in the workplace and in schools. Misinformation about affirmative action led to its dismantling, and we must ensure the same does not happen with DEI. ✅ We should find out how to support the legislators and other advocacy groups who are fighting for DEI in each state. Donating, volunteering, or spreading the word about their work will be critical to swaying popular sentiment. ✅ We must also support DEI professionals in this country, who are doing incredible work. Make sure you are checking in on them, and asking how you can help them. It can especially feel dangerous to do this work in the states who are intent on eliminating it, so we should be vigilant and consider how we can advocate for them. ✅ We must recognize that this is a long game. The opponents of affirmative action were working for decades to end it, and we must realize that the fight to save and expand DEI will be a long term effort. It can feel infuriating that we are at this place again in 2024, where the rights of the historically marginalized are being attacked. But our ancestors fought against slavery, fought against Jim Crow, fought against apartheid, and so, unfortunately, it is our turn. We must maintain hope and not become fatigued by the process, even though it is draining. We will win. #dei #antiracism #diversityequityinclusion