The Department of African American Studies (AAS) held a Black History Month Forum called “What’s Behind the Attacks on DEI,” on Feb. 26, moderated by Professor Tera W. Hunter, chair of the department.
The four panelists — Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. GS ’97, Tera W. Hunter, Naomi Murakawa, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor — are all professors in the department.
At the start of the program, Hunter expressed that while Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) programs are widely supported, they “have been maligned on the right and the left.” Hunter and the panelists discussed the motivations behind anti-DEI efforts, common criticisms of DEI programs, and how participants can take action.
Since the inauguration, the Trump administration has issued multiple executive orders aiming to terminate DEI initiatives in the federal government and the private sector. These executive orders claim to “combat private sector discrimination” and “faithfully advance[s] the Constitution’s promise of colorblind equality before the law.”
Following opening remarks, Hunter asked the panelists, “What are the larger objectives of the executive orders that impact educational institutions, especially teaching and research in colleges and universities?”
Taylor highlighted the need to distinguish between broader attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across “all of public life” and the specific attacks targeting DEI programs within educational institutions.
“This is a naked attack on the right to free speech, on the right to think freely, on what we call at colleges and universities and also K-12 institutions, academic freedom, the idea that you can engage in intellectual projects without the fear of reprisal for doing so,” Taylor expressed.
Murakawa built on Taylor’s argument by citing an example at Princeton, referring to a September 2020 letter from University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 acknowledging the University’s place within a system of structural racism.
“In exchange for writing that letter, which was actually pretty standard for the time, Trump’s Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos slapped the University with a Title VI violation,” Murakawa explained.
“That was the opening salvo for the repression of speech that was to come,” she added.
Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. framed anti-DEI efforts as a part of a larger effort to pursue a “white nationalist agenda,” promoting a diversion from traditional conversations surrounding DEI.
“What Trump is doing, I think, is rejecting this liberal effort to yoke the story to the American story, and hearken back right to an understanding of American history that justifies the white nationalist project, and DEI … is the battlefield for that frontal assault," Glaude said.
Taylor added to Glaude’s remarks, emphasizing that “it’s not a re-imagining of the nation as white, just for the sake of reimagining the nation as white,” but rather a deliberate effort serving a broader purpose.
She expressed that attacks on DEI are not just about advancing a racist agenda but also about allowing billionaires in Trump’s cabinet to consolidate power, “while the vast majority of people struggle to make ends meet.”
Taylor supported Glaude’s argument about marginalized communities being unfairly blamed, by explaining that DEI is being falsely portrayed as a system that allows Black people to “get something for nothing,” reinforcing misleading and harmful narratives.
Hunter then redirected the conversation towards actions that the audience members could take. All three panelists emphasized the importance of speaking out.
“The whole idea is for us to begin to do the imaginative work, so that we’re not just fighting against something, we’re fighting for something … Fight for a different way of being in the world, not just trying to secure what has been, but what it could be” Glaude said.
“It feels like students are less comfortable with discussing topics of DEI.” Nicole Ndayishimiye ’27, an attendee, told the ‘Prince.’
Avery Danae Williams ’26, an African American Studies major, conveyed a similar sentiment. Williams is a staff Newsletter writer for the ‘Prince.’
“It was so powerful, and so needed to discuss DEI and racism, especially because these executive orders are hitting,” she said.
Irene Kim is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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