With the formal dissolution of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs nationwide, some Morehead State University professors are speaking out about the continued need for these initiatives.
Bernadette Barton, Director of Gender Studies and Professor of Sociology at MSU, said DEI is more than just a political issue. It’s about making sure all students receive equal opportunities.
“Lifting up students who suffer systematic structural disadvantages in society. Which includes, of course, students of color and women, but also veterans, and non-traditional students, and working-class students, and first-generation students, and students with disabilities. DEI work is about us serving as a light to the mountains, to support all our many students in their different identities,” said Barton.
Barton said without DEI programs, people nationwide will be affected by those structural disadvantages. She said even without formal programs, she still intends to champion the importance of DEI.
“I’m going to go to the Kentucky General Assembly and talk to my representative and get the word out that DEI is not something to be afraid of. That when you are, you’re operating from a model of scarcity, where there’s this idea somehow that there aren’t enough resources to go around, but that’s not the case, there’s plenty of resources to go around if we operate from a model of abundance when we lift each other up instead of pushing each other down,” said Barton.
DEI opponents say the initiatives don’t do anything meaningful, and direct resources away from other, more pressing concerns.