Black students at Emory University woke up to a changed campus after the elite university announced yesterday it would end its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
The news comes amid a federal crackdown on programs at colleges and universities designed to promote inclusion.
The interim university president, Leah Ward Sears, made the announcement in a letter sent to the Emory community Wednesday. And while Sears noted that she herself had “reaped the benefits” of diversity programs, she outlined the forthcoming changes to the Decatur campus:
“Federal laws and mandates have been implemented that require higher education institutions to alter fundamentally or even close offices and programs focused on DEI. The standards are clear, and we must act accordingly.
“Guided by the Office of General Counsel and other appropriate campus officials, we will work promptly and carefully to discontinue current DEI offices and programs. We will also work closely with each impacted employee to provide appropriate support and assistance through the transition.”
Ward, who was on her third day in office, also noted, “I’m confident we can follow the law while not losing sight of who we are.”
The response to a story on the cuts by Emory’s student paper, The Wheel, was met with swift criticism by Black students and alumni on social media.
Chloe Wynona wrote: “You will never get a dime out of me! Embarrassed to call this my alma mater.”
T. Welle posted: “Emory’s commitment to DEI is the reason I chose this school over others.”
Emory’s cuts come on the heels of the Trump administration announcing in March that the Department of Education would be investigating Emory and 44 other institutions for “engaging in race-exclusionary practices” in the University’s graduate programs.
Georgia NAACP President Gerald Griggs posted on social media that the venerable civil rights organization is requesting a meeting with Emory officials before the end of the month.
“The Georgia NAACP is gravely concerned about Emory University’s decision to restructure its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs,” Griggs wrote. “While we acknowledge Emory’s stated commitment to fairness and belonging, these changes raise serious questions about how students, faculty, and staff — particularly from marginalized communities — will be supported moving forward.”
Griggs wants to understand the reasoning behind the DEI changes, the university’s plans to support marginalized students, how they will uphold federal agreements and nondiscrimination policies, and what opportunities there will be for an ongoing dialogue with community stakeholders.
Emory’s Class of 2028, which in 2024 was the first to be admitted since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled race can no longer be used as a factor in college admissions, has a Black student population of 12.1%, a slight decline from the previous year of 12.6%. Overall, Emory’s Black student population stood at 13.8%, or 2,227 students out of a total enrollment of 16,142.
Capital B Atlanta has reached out to Emory’s Black Student Union for comment.
