“LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two bills in Kentucky’s legislature aim to end Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in public schools and universities. This comes as changes come from the federal level as well.
Concerns surrounding the state movement were brought up in a Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and NAACP forum Thursday evening, where they talked about the importance of Black Student Unions and Associations.
“The creating of Senate Bill 165 is just truly disheartening and insulting,” said JCPS student Bianca Phoenix.
Senate Bill 165 would end DEI programs in public schools in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. If passed, the bill would allow the attorney general to bring civil action if a school violates the provisions. It would also dissolve the positions of some JCPS employees that part of the forum.
“Taking this experience away from future generations just sounds like chaos waiting to happen,” Phoenix said. “History does repeat itself when it’s not taught and taking away DEI takes away culture and understanding.”
Ian Brandon, a specialist with the Diversity, Equity, and Poverty division within JCPS, said Black Student Unions help with self-confidence.
‘It has increased sense of belonging with a number of our students and we know that that improves academic performance and especially emotional well-being,” Brandon said.
In a statement, JCPS pointed to the districts’ achievements in narrowing gaps for students.
“JCPS has made these tremendous gains without engaging in any of the discriminatory or preferential actions SB 165 seeks to ban,” said the school system. “That said, this legislation threatens to reverse the progress our students have made as well as the jobs of JCPS staff who work hard every day to help our students make positive gains in academics and life skills.”
House Bill 4 aims to reflect its Senate counterpart, but applies to postsecondary education like universities.
University of Louisville sent out a campus wide message clarifying no administrator would lose their job.
“At this university, all of us — not one office or department — have the responsibility to ensure that everyone has a sense of belonging,” the university said.
“I’m in so many different groups that maybe next year, I may not have the funding to be that [involved],” said JCPS grad, now University of Kentucky junior, LaNasia Mason. “That’s not going to stop me. That’s not going to hinder what I’m doing.”
The Family Foundation stands by lawmakers pushing to get rid of DEI.
“We think its a waste in taxpayer dollars, and it often results in a lowering in overall standards,” said Nick Spencer, the director of Policy with the Family Foundation. “Depending on the context that you’re in, when you lower those standards too much, you can run into significant issues of health and safety.”
In Louisville, NAACP members are pushing for people to speak up and call their representative about the bills. The number is 1 (800) 372-7181.
SB 165 is currently in the Senate’s Education Committee, while HB 4 has moved to the House committee on post-secondary education.”