This is why the Trump administration must remain vigilant on this. The left is not giving this up willingly.
Inside Higher Ed reports:
How Leaders Are Keeping DEI Work AliveAs attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts escalate, higher education leaders across the country are facing a defining moment. Legislative mandates, ambiguous executive orders and politicized critiques have left institutions reeling. But perhaps most troubling is the speed with which some institutions have complied. In just a few months, we have witnessed leaders dismantling DEI offices, scrubbing language from strategic plans and websites, and quietly retreating from long-standing equity commitments. While disconcerting, this kind of anticipatory compliance raises deeper questions, especially since many court cases on these matters are yet to be decided.Our recent research confirms that many institutions are bending the knee too quickly, forfeiting hard-won progress without meaningful resistance. At the same time, our research illustrates glimpses of hope. We feel compelled to share about our ongoing work because we believe this is a moment we cannot sleep through. It demands moral clarity and institutional courage.We conducted 17 in-depth interviews and three focus groups with leaders from a diverse set of institutions across the country, including community colleges, bachelor’s degree–granting institutions and minority-serving institutions, exploring how these leaders understand racial equity and social justice in relationship to their leadership practices. Interviews happened in fall 2024 and were followed up in spring 2025 with focus groups, which centered on the question of how the current political climate, and specifically the anti-DEI movement, is impacting leaders’ work and perspectives. These conversations offered not only more insights but also opportunities for leaders to speak their minds and even name what they’re experiencing. They reflected on the tensions, uncertainties and quiet bravery of trying to hold the line on equity in a time of escalating political scrutiny.For those of us who have spent years advancing equity-driven work, this is a sobering reckoning. But it is also a call and opportunity.
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