On Friday, April 21st, University of Utah students held a rally at J. Willard Marriott Library to encourage public awareness of anti-equity policy objectives.
This rally/protest was in response to USBE Board member Natalie Cline along with Monica Wilbur holding a separate event, sponsored by Young Americans for Freedom, promoting opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of education, including public colleges and universities.
This opposition, led by Cline et al, is encompassed in SBO283 which would strip DEI offices and resources at the college level. The bill failed in the last legislative session but will be revisited during the summer Interim legislative work. With the success of so-called “anti-woke” and “Don’t Say Gay” bills in states such as Florida, these objectives present a challenge to Utah families who value diversity and increased educational opportunity for their families.
We believe the goal of public education from K-University is to benefit our community by educating our students to navigate an increasingly diverse globalized economy.
Stripping our education system of diversity, equity and inclusion resources segregates some of the most diverse and marginalized members of our common community.
As several student speakers said, this effort makes it more difficult for schools to provide a welcoming environment for these students. Many would have to consider not attending Utah universities. It also denies other students the opportunity to become comfortable with the diversity of culture and sexual identity common in an increasingly diverse economy as they make their way in the world.
This continuing effort, these unnecessary and harmful culture wars, serve no greater good.
The targets of these efforts are clearly the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, but the result of these targeted efforts has historically been to harm our entire community, all our families and children.
The damage done is multi-generational, negatively affecting our greatest wish to raise our children with an expansive exposure to the richness of multiple cultures, accurate history, and to raise them in an environment inclusive of all.
