Texas Republicans Say They’ll Save Diversity on Campus by Killing Diversity on Campus," by Brant Bingamon

Friends:

Besides its clever title, this piece by Austin Chronicle's Brant Bingamon is important because it makes explicit the absurd rationale today to eliminate DEI and Ethnic Studies. Sen. Brandon Creighton, who is leading the charge, recklessly appropriates the language of civil rights and diversity to justify policies that dismantle diversity programs. He redefines “diverse voices” and “unity” to mean the removal of explicitly racial, ethnic, or gender-related curriculum, reversing the meanings of these terms without acknowledging their historical or contextual specificity. This rhetorical ploy is used to distort the truth and mislead the public.

He also misrepresents Ethnic Studies to make it easier to attack, referring to them as “discriminatory” or “divisive” without engaging their actual content or pedagogical goals. Sherry Sylvester with the Texas Public Policy Foundation provides no evidence that DEI or Ethnic Studies cause unproductive outcomes. Both Sylvester and Creighton suggest that keeping such programs leads to educational or societal collapse. Geez, where is the evidence, and why such animus?

As someone who testified in a Arizona District Court case on the dismantling of Mexican American Studies in the Tucson Unified School District—and who, in preparation, reviewed more than four decades of rigorous scholarship—I categorically reject Sylvester's claim. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. The research is clear: Ethnic Studies programs foster academic achievement, critical thinking, and civic engagement. To suggest otherwise is not only misleading, but a profound disservice to the educational integrity we should be upholding.

 I urge readers to read this piece published by the National Education Association and authored by Dr. Christine Sleeter titled, What the Research Says About Ethnic Studies so that readers can learn for themselves what I am saying.

The research is further in line with Izabella de la Garza's testimony quoted herein, who offers a direct rebuttal, expressing how “Inclusivity is the antithesis of discrimination.” She then speaks powerfully about how there is nothing to fear and how Ethnic Studies was one of the most enriching experiences of her life. Great job, Izabella. We need many more voices like yours with ringing clarity in our legislative battles.

-Angela Valenzuela

Texas Republicans Say They’ll Save Diversity on Campus by Killing Diversity on Campus
Higher education Senate subcommittee aims to double down on DEI ban

by Brant Bingamon, Fri., Nov. 15, 2024 Austin Chronicle

State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe (photo by Jana Birchum)

In the last legislative session in 2023, Texas Republicans outlawed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs at public universities across the state. Now, they’re getting ready to kill what they call “DEI-related curriculum” – the courses taught under the umbrella of Black studies, Latina/o studies, LGBTQ studies, and other fields.

The new crusade was unveiled at a Senate subcommittee hearing on higher education held on Nov. 11 and dedicated to “stopping DEI to strengthen the Texas workforce.” Such hearings are usually the first step in the creation of future laws.

State Sen. Brandon Creighton, the author of 2023’s anti-DEI law, opened the hearing by appropriating the language of the civil rights struggle, referring to ethnic studies courses as “discriminatory.” He also appropriated the principles that underpin DEI programs and turned them upside down to support ending DEI. “Our public institutions of higher education have a duty to uphold campus culture that encourages diverse voices, viewpoints, and to build trust among administration, faculty, staff, and students, not to divide them,” Creighton said.

With that, Creighton introduced President Jay Hartzell from UT-Austin, professor Holley Love from the University of Houston, and President Mark Welsh from Texas A&M. Texas A&M recently provided a model for how to eliminate diversity-focused programs on a university campus. On Nov. 7, the university’s board of regents voted to end 52 minors and certificates – including the LGBTQ studies minor – which administrators decided had low levels of enrollment. Changes to curriculum are traditionally proposed by faculty but, in this case, A&M’s provost developed the process which identified the programs to cut. The changes are proceeding despite sustained faculty protest.

Hartzell, Love, and Welsh took turns trying to placate Creighton. Welsh assured the senator that his university has instituted a revolving schedule to examine which courses to abolish. Creighton asked whether degree tracks at A&M have any “political leaning.” Welsh denied it. “I’m hoping what our students are getting out of this is the idea of nonpartisanship,” he said. “It’s having your own political views but to keep them to yourself and learn about everybody else’s.”

“They won’t be able to do that with these misguided and frankly pathetic worldviews.”– Anti-DEI advocate Sherry Sylvester of the Texas Public Policy Foundation

Next up, Creighton brought on an anti-DEI warrior, Sherry Sylvester of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a far-right think tank that has been aggressively working to alter Texas education policy for three decades. Sylvester congratulated the committee for passing what she called the strongest and most effective anti-DEI legislation in the country, but said that campuses “continue to revolve around identity politics, gender, and race theory.” She said Texas taxpayers fruitlessly spend billions trying to help students lead productive lives.

“They won’t be able to do that with these misguided and frankly pathetic worldviews,” Sylvester said. “That’s why it’s critical that this committee look deeply into what is being taught in university classrooms.”

Eventually, the actual teachers and students who sit in those classrooms had a chance to speak. Not a single one supported the subcommittee’s mission. Many were Hispanic students, or recent graduates, of UT. Their overwhelming message was that the studies programs they have taken teach critical thinking, communication skills, and a deeper understanding of history and politics.

Izabella de la Garza, a recent UT grad with degrees in government and Mexican American studies, told Creighton that the courses are not discriminatory. “Inclusivity is literally the antithesis of discrimination,” de la Garza said, describing the courses she took as one of the most enriching experiences of her life. “If anything is going to strengthen our workforce, it is cultural awareness,” she continued, “and the curriculum you’re concerned about provides that cultural awareness. There is nothing to fear in diversity and interdisciplinary studies, and it is concerning that you’re framing it as an issue.”