If we want students to succeed, why is the Kentucky legislature talking about banning DEI rather than telling the colleges that diversity, equity and inclusion are good things,
DEI: Explaining the diversity, equity and inclusion debate
Initiatives for diversity, equity, and inclusion are facing bans across the United States.
I struggle to figure out what it is with the Republicans in the Kentucky General Assembly that makes them want to make it harder for African American students to succeed in colleges and universities.
Kentucky legislators hauled the presidents of five of the state’s universities before the interim education committee on Tuesday to make them explain what they are doing to get rid of their diversity, equity and inclusion offices in the wake of a legislative session that nearly saw a new law make them illegal.
They’re worried the schools shouldn’t be giving benefits to Black students.
They say they want our colleges and universities to be color blind, but it’s more like they just want to ignore race, racism and how it affects people.
The University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University have already disbanded their DEI offices and spread their employees throughout other offices and have given them new marching orders.
Some of you are already getting in a huff. I can sense it.
“Oh, my God,” some of you are thinking. “They were giving benefits to Black students (that voice in your head may not have been that respectful) that they weren’t giving to white ones. Why, why, that’s reverse discrimination.”
Some of you are about ready to email me and call me all sorts of names and tell me that we ought to get rid of these programs because it’s unfair to help one group of students and not help others — but hold on.
Before you grab the laptop and fire off that angry missive, here’s my question:
Is abandoning DEI a way to relegate students to ‘Black jobs’?
If we want students to succeed, why is the legislature talking about banning DEI rather than telling the colleges that diversity, equity and inclusion are good things, but if the programs are going to exist they need to beef them up and broaden them to include all students — no matter their race or class background?
Could it be that they’re not trying to level the playing field for all students but that they’re trying to make it more difficult for Black students and relegate them to the “Black jobs” Donald Trump talked about in his June debate with Joe Biden — whatever “Black jobs” are?
There is a whole segment of today’s population that is convinced that anything to lift up Black people is an attempt to harm white people.
The slogan “Black Lives Matter” to them means white lives don’t matter. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
The very existence of a “Black National Anthem” is enough to spark an “X” meltdown with right-wingers threatening to stop attending NFL games — where they have already said they would stop attending because, you know, kneeling.
When House Bill 9, the legislation that would have cut out funding for any DEI program was discussed during the last session of the General Assembly, you heard concerns about white students not being admitted to college because less qualified students were getting in.
Race-based admissions isn’t a problem at Kentucky colleges
The Supreme Court has already outlawed race-based admissions, but it’s not like that’s a real problem in Kentucky as virtually every student who applies to the University of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky gets in.
All of them accept at least 95 percent of applicants.
The most selective school is the University of Louisville, which accepts only 81.5 percent of its students.
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On Tuesday, you heard worries about white professors losing out to lesser qualified Black professors. State Rep. Emily Callaway, of Louisville, asked at one point if any hires were made based on race or sex — as if it would be wrong to make sure there’s a variety of thought at the schools.
Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, of Oldham County, one of the leaders of this witch trial, said she didn’t like the word “equity.”
I wonder how she likes the word “bigotry.”
The problem with the attacks on DEI is that the programs are there to help students adjust and succeed in college, and they are generally set up to address populations with the greatest needs.
Unfortunately, African Americans often have the greatest needs. It makes sense to have a program geared specifically for them.
They often come from poorer families, they often are the first in their families to seek a college degree, and they often look around and feel alone amid a sea of white faces. Only 7 percent of UK students are Black. At Morehead, it’s only 3 percent.
Finding role models, such as professors of color, is even more difficult.
DEI programs provide wrap-around services to help these students deal with those sorts of issues.
UK president Eli Capilouto said UK has revamped its diversity program and spread out its employees among different departments that provide services to first-generation students, people with mental health issues, those with disabilities and students who are beyond the typical college student age.
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University of Louisville President Kim Schatzel said that school’s new equity office provides help to former members of the military, students with autism and those who aren’t native English speakers. U of L has also hired financial advisers for low-income students who qualify for Pell Grants.
These sorts of changes weren’t enough.
Tichenor asked Capilouto if the changes at UK wasn’t just a name change and was still “separating students by color.”
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having employees there to focus on helping students of one race when they face common issues. The only reason to end those programs is if you don’t want those kids to succeed.
Then, maybe you can keep them in “Black jobs.”
Joseph Gerth can be reached at 502-582-4702 or by email at jgerth@courierjournal.com.
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Publish date : 2024-09-18 22:20:00
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