Oklahoma is the latest state to target DEI programs. What’s next?

OKLAHOMA CITY — Standing behind a lectern emblazoned with the words, “Defunding Discrimination,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order intent on “eliminating and dismissing” diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state offices and agencies, which would include public colleges.

The Republican governor said it was a move to “take politics out of education” and end “six-figure salaries to DEI staff.” Instead, the governor said educational institutions across the state should widen their focus on getting students college and career ready.

Oklahoma has now joined other states, like Florida and Texas, that have moved to limit DEI programming in higher education institutions. Proponents of DEI say courses and trainings have a crucial role in fostering understanding and inclusivity in academic and work settings.

“People are tired of talking about things that divide us,” Stitt said after he signed the order in December. “Let’s just help our kids. Don’t worry about what they look like or how they identify. Let’s just help kids get ready for the workforce.”

Governor Kevin Stitt speaks at his inauguration at the Oklahoma Capitol in Oklahoma City on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.Stitt 8

But for Skye Latimer, a local DEI instructor and community advocate, she’s concerned the dismissal of DEI training for both students and professionals will only widen the the disparities felt among students.

“Diversity and inclusion gets a bad rap,” she said. “Gov. Stitt’s point was ‘defunding discrimination,’ but I think he knows what DEI is — and I think he knows what it truly is — and that it’s a valuable tool for so many.

“But I think he’s using this as a way to score political points instead of trying to actually help anyone,” she added.

The elimination of state-funded DEI programs and dismissing personnel was a stated objective for many Oklahoma conservatives. Gov. Stitt’s order will have state agencies and higher education institutions conduct reviews of DEI positions and programs, and subsequently downsize what the order labels as “non-critical personnel.”

The order also forbids state resources from being allocated to DEI efforts. The order also lists a series of actions, such as prohibiting DEI statements and requirements to disclose pronouns.

Stitt said all agencies would need to submit a report on what they spend on DEI by May.

The wider ramifications of dismantling DEI programs in Oklahoma and other states have not been felt yet, said Paulette Granberry Russell, the president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. But she fears it will only affect the level of services offered to students from nontraditional backgrounds.

“I think what’s fueling this is a false narrative that leads to the mischaracterizations of the efforts to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive campuses and discredit the proven mechanisms that have opened doors of opportunity and helped historically marginalized students earn their degrees,” she said. “These actions are just rebuilding barriers for those that have been historically marginalized and pushed aside. They do nothing to support students.”

For Latimer, 33, she has worked with and conducted DEI trainings for several state agencies and is now wondering whether she’ll be forced to sever those ties now.

Latimer said some of the pillars of diversity, equity and inclusion that she has taught center around everyone being able to share their own experiences and to explain how those experiences shape who people are today.

Latimer often compares DEI training to recognizing an iceberg. What’s visible above the water are the physical attributes most can see. But below the surface are a range of experiences people can hold, such as caregiver status, military service, socioeconomic standing, the type of homes they were raised in, and more.

Latimer said some of her most impactful trainings have those moments when people start recognizing those factors in another colleague’s history.

“All these things make us unique and tell a beautiful story of our life and of our humanity,” Latimer said. “That is where we find intersectionality.”

State Sen. Rob Standridge, a Republican from Norman, has also introduced four bills in the upcoming Oklahoma Legislature session to align with Stitt’s order. Collectively, the bills seek to prohibit creation of DEI offices and hiring or assignment of employees at higher education institutions for DEI practices.

Despite DEI having a broader impact politically and culturally, the financial implications for Oklahoma institutions may be relatively small. Allison Garrett, chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, said during an interim study on DEI spending in October that only 11 of Oklahoma’s 25 colleges and universities have a designated diversity officer on their payroll. Spending on DEI programs constitutes about 0.1 percent of state funds for higher education in Oklahoma.

Critics argue that Stitt’s order will not elevate standards but instead diminish diversity and inclusivity on college campuses. At the University of Oklahoma, the state’s largest university by enrollment, students in the Black Emergency Response Team, known as BERT, say that removing personnel, funding and programming jeopardizes vital spaces that provide a voice for marginalized communities within the university.

“Once those programs are wiped out, it’s kind of like the resources and the cultural aspects of our community also kind of start to die because we’ve been cut off from that source,” said Amari Williams, a junior and director for BERT. “It’s important to see people who are able to help you fit in and help you succeed and graduate, and now knowing that’s at jeopardy is really devastating.”

Following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolist, students at University of Oklahoma protested outside the school president’s office weeks later. The rally was organized by the Black Emergency Response Team, a student group known as BERT. Photo by Adam Kemp/PBS NewsHour

The Black Emergency Response Team was formed shortly after a video of a fraternity singing a song with a racist slur surfaced in 2015. The student group has organized protests and has sought to hold university officials accountable following other high-profile racist incidents on campus, such as an OU professor and a football coach separately using racist slurs.

Thompson, along with fellow BERT member Ellie Shoulders, said they see the governor’s executive order as an attack on the success they have achieved.

While Gov. Stitt might describe DEI programs as an unfair advantage for some students, Williams said she views the program as a way of leveling the playing field for all.

“I don’t think we’re getting a leg up,” Williams, a junior, said. “If anything, I see DEI as an elevator from the underground to be level with other students.”

For Shoulders, she said she transferred into OU after first attending a community college. She initially struggled to find community at OU, but after joining different programs and organizations, such as the Black Student Association and African Women’s League, she began to feel more at home.

“They served as like a torch or a lamp that led me through the darkness,” Shoulders said of the organizations. “It’s really disheartening to know that students like me and everyone else all across the country and those that haven’t started college yet, are going to have to face going to college alone and trying to find their community alone with no guide.”

In response to Gov. Stitt’s order, OU president Joseph Harroz has since pledged his commitment to upholding core principles that foster inclusivity and opportunity for all.

“Make no mistake: At OU, we stand firm in our promise to uphold the core principles that make our university a beacon where the American Dream is available to all,” Harroz said in a statement.

Latimer said she’s worried about what the future will hold for students, but also for faculty and staff at universities.“It’s really frustrating because it’s valuable things that are going to be cut out,” she said.

Latimer said she wishes Gov. Stitt and other state officials could sit in one of her sessions and see there’s “no boogeyman” in her lesson plan. She said Stitt’s desire to have Oklahomans come together and work with each other, aligns with the overall goal of DEI education.

“I have seen the value of these DEI trainings and how different businesses and offices come together to learn from each other,” she said. “I just think it’s unfortunate that’s not being valued.”