Why is it wrong to teach students about diversity, equity and inclusion?

By Diana Bradford | Read the full story here

Friend,

The college where I teach had always been very progressive. It encouraged faculty and staff to exercise freedom of speech and welcomed inclusive speakers, lessons and events.

Texas Senate Bill 17 was passed in May 2023, and almost overnight things changed. This law, similar to ones in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s focus states of Florida and Alabama, bans diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public colleges and universities. Colleges that do not comply can lose millions in state funding. Administrators explained to us what speech was prohibited, such as requiring attendance for certain speakers.

Last June, I joined other faculty and staff on a civil rights tour. During the tour by the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, a nonprofit advocacy group, we would learn about U.S. history on a deeper level and share what we learned with our students. I joined because I had recently learned that I have ancestors who were enslaved. I also enjoy learning history. This was an opportunity to visit places I have only read about in textbooks.

Our first stop was the Whitney Plantation in Louisiana, where the tour focused on life from the enslaved person’s perspective. I was moved by the plaques bearing the names of enslaved people and their country of origin. Through ancestry websites, I had traced my paternal grandfather to a New Orleans plantation, so I listened intently. The tour guide mentioned that in some schools, enslavement isn’t taught. The subject has become taboo. I left wishing my students could experience this tour.

Sincerely,

Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center

The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.

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