Alabama Governor Kay Kay Ivey has signed a sweeping bill that prohibits the use of state funds for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and offices at state agencies, higher education institutions and other public entities.
‘My administration has and will continue to value Alabama’s rich diversity, however, I refuse to allow a few bad actors on college campuses – or wherever else for that matter – to go under the acronym of DEI, using taxpayer funds, to push their liberal political movement counter to what the majority of Alabamians believe’, Ivey said in a March 20 statement to news outlets.
The legislation was quickly criticized by civil rights and advocacy groups, arguing that similar policies impede on the freedom of speech.
‘Today, the Alabama government has failed our children’, said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. ‘The ongoing assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion is part of an anti-Black agenda that seeks to revert our nation back to a time where Black students and teachers were denied adequate access to the classroom. We refuse to go back’.
DEI, as defined by professionals in that field, is aimed at correcting inequities within an organization — this could include implementing accessibility measures for people with disabilities, correcting discriminatory hiring practices, addressing gender and racial pay inequities, anti-bias training and more.
