The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has instructed colleges to remove any activities that treat students differently based on race, creating a significant debate regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts on campus. However, this moment can also serve as a chance for educational institutions to critically examine and reshape their curricula and co-curricular programs to genuinely advance equity. By addressing the underlying normalization of whiteness within these programs, colleges can ensure a more equitable experience for all students, moving beyond supplementary DEI initiatives that only partially meet the needs of marginalized groups.
This is a moment for campus leaders to reframe the terms of the current debate over the legitimacy of special diversity, equity and inclusion programs by doing the long-needed work of truly decentering whiteness as the normative identity and experience.
Most campuses have a lot of work to do, and much of it is not going to be to the liking of those who believe that it is DEI programs that make an otherwise level playing field an unfair one.
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