The United States of America was built on the promise of opportunity.
However, for centuries, that promise was denied to many.
Laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 acknowledged the systemic barriers that marginalized communities have long faced. These laws were meant to ensure fairness, yet today, efforts to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs threaten to drag us backward.
President Donald Trump has taken direct action against DEI programs, signing executive orders to ban DEI programs in the federal government, NPR reported. The U.S. Department of Education issued an ultimatum in February to schools that receive federal funding: eliminate diversity programs or risk losing their federal funding, according to NPR. The funding at risk includes student loans, state funding for curriculum development, free or reduced lunch programs, and support for students with special needs. Without this support, countless students will lose access to the very programs that help them succeed.
The policies set forth by President Trump could have potential consequences at South. Nearly one-fifth of South students have disabilities, according to the Illinois Report Card. The Hispanic and Asian student populations make up 16 percent and 22 percent, respectively, of our student body.
DEI programs provide essential support for a wide range of people, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, people with disabilities, and more, according to CNN. In schools, DEI initiatives ensure that every student, regardless of race, background, ability, or socioeconomic status, has access to necessary resources, support, and opportunities.
In the workplace, these programs go beyond just filling quotas—they help close gender pay gaps, create leadership opportunities for underrepresented groups, and offer crucial benefits like paid parental leave and flexible work policies, CNN reported.
In DEI’s absence, students from under-represented backgrounds will face greater challenges in accessing the support they need to thrive. DEI works to break those barriers, to ensure that opportunity isn’t just reserved for those born into privilege. No one’s future should be determined by their income, their last name, or the color of their skin.
Banning DEI doesn’t fix anything.
A world without DEI won’t suddenly prioritize merit over identity—those who have been historically under-represented will still face systemic disadvantages.
The rollback of these initiatives does not make society fairer. It simply ensures that the existing inequalities remain intact. Students who have benefited from generational wealth, well-funded schools, and established social networks will continue to thrive, while those who have historically faced barriers to success will struggle even more.
At a school like ours, where students come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, the absence of DEI would widen the gap between those with resources and those without. Without structured efforts to ensure equal access to support and resources, opportunities will once again be handed out based on who has the most connections, the most money, or the most privilege—not who actually deserves them.
The strength of our country comes from its diversity, the fairness of our society depends on equity, and the strength of our communities is built through inclusion.
Banning these programs means accepting a future that looks far too much like the past, where discrimination was legal and systemic barriers kept marginalized communities from succeeding. That is not a future any of us should accept.
A world where diversity is valued, equity is prioritized, and inclusion is upheld is a world where all of us can live and prosper. Students must challenge the misconceptions about DEI, advocate for inclusive policies, and ensure that the fight for equity does not end here.
Banning DEI is not the solution—ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to succeed is.
