Woke as f*ck

The podcast episode discusses the state of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work in the US, with a focus on Utah. It mentions that there is a backlash against EDI, with several bills introduced in different states, including Utah, to ban EDI in state universities. The Supreme Court recently overturned affirmative action, further fueling the backlash. The episode also highlights the history of EDI in education, starting in the 19th century, and the activism that led to its implementation. It mentions the importance of student protests and legal action, such as the establishment of affirmative action in 1978. The University of Utah is mentioned as an example of students advocating for resources tailored to their needs. The episode highlights the current situation in Utah, with anti-EDI bills introduced in the legislative session, although none of them passed. It mentions that more bills are expected in the future. The episode also discusses the concept of race neutrality and its pe Hi, everyone, and welcome to this episode of Woke Assassin. I'm Malachi. I'm Nicole. I'm Emma. And I'm Miriam. And today we're talking about the state of equity, diversity, and inclusion work, or EDI, from the broader condition of EDI in the U.S. to the more narrow context of Utah. We'll talk about some of its history, its presence, its importance, and finally a bit about how we can advocate for and keep this necessary work alive in our home state and for our future. Thanks for tuning in. Let's get this episode rolling. So far in 2023, 35 bills in 20 different states have been introduced to ban EDI in state universities, and many of these bills were also introduced in Utah. In addition, this past summer, the Supreme Court recently overturned affirmative action, and colleges may no longer factor race into admissions. It is clear that right now we are experiencing a massive backlash against EDI. And before we discuss the current state of EDI in Utah, it is essential to understand the roots of EDI in higher education and the activism involved to make sense of our current moment, the intense backlash, and the possible way forward. So, where do we begin? I'm so glad you asked. The push for EDI in education actually started in the 19th century, during the Reconstruction era. Anthony Benzait, the Quaker abolitionist and educator, promoted the idea that all students should enjoy equal access to education as a way to address past inequalities. For Benzait, education was a form of social justice. Yet at the time, others resisted. Yet, it took until the 1960s for Benzait's ideas to catch on, and in fact, student protests were vital in pressuring colleges to implement EDI programs. Where did these student protests start? Well, after the longest strike on a college campus in U.S. history, San Francisco State implemented a Black Studies program, and protests spread nationwide. The push for EDI also led into legal action. Affirmative action was established in 1978. The court has allowed colleges and universities to consider the race of its applicants, as they have recognized that diversity exposes students to new ideas and prepares them to live and work in a multicultural society. With legal protections enshrined into law, the number of students with diverse backgrounds began to increase. Yet, as students with marginalized identities entered majority-white spaces, they began advocating for resources to be tailored to their needs. The University of Utah is a great example, showing that while opening doors to allow a diverse student body is essential, students are still at the forefront of demanding resources to fit their needs. For example, students called for the creation of ethnic studies in the 70s, and in the 80s, they called for the creation of a gender studies program. By 2016, the School of Social and Cultural Transformation was created. Student protests were a powerful force, and their activism has had a resounding impact. Yet, despite decades of progress, the Supreme Court argues that a race-neutral framework will ensure equality in higher education. But the Supreme Court is not the only governmental body that feels EDI is no longer necessary in a diverse and multicultural society. Utah has become the new battleground of several red-button topics like those of critical race theory, book bannings, and gender-inclusive bathrooms. This last legislative session saw four anti-EDI bills, and they got quite a bit of attention on the Hill. What were these anti-EDI bills focusing on? The specific effects of these bills ranged from banning language of inclusion and diversity work in application forms of state-funded offices, including higher education scholarship forms, to prohibiting controversial topics from being discussed by teachers in K-12 education, including all language about identity. The scariest of the bunch was House Bill 451, which was introduced in the tail end of the session. This bill would have required all schools to adopt a so-called neutrality policy, which would remove several student protections for discrimination on campuses, making it nearly impossible to report or get effective resources concerning discrimination. Furthermore, this bill would have effectively closed all state EDI offices, including one here at the University of Utah. Luckily, none of these bills ended up passing, leaving many of us on the bill hoping we had done to vote on this issue. Unfortunately, though, these bills were only the first of many, with Equality Utah now tracking about 15 of these bills incoming for the 2024 Utah Legislative Session. This onslaught of attacking this work has only been exacerbated by the overturning of affirmative action this last summer. Despite these bills against equity, diversity, and inclusion work not passing, they still have had detrimental effect on alienating those doing this important work and discouraging institutions to defend it. Now we will look outside of Utah politics to discuss how many anti-EDI activists propagate the idea of race neutrality, which in reality only further entrenches racial inequalities. Alex Johnson, in Patriarchy the System, said, When oppression is woven into the fabric of daily life, we don't need to go out of our way to be overly oppressive in order for an oppressive system to produce oppressive consequences. Race-neutral laws perpetrate racial discrimination, as seen in practices like legacy scholarships and higher education. Despite desegregation efforts, a stark 96 percent of living Ivy League alumni were white in 1995, which means that legacy admissions heavily favor white students. When overturning affirmative action, the court was silent on the inherent discriminatory practices of legacy admissions and incorrectly claimed that race-neutral policies would wipe away centuries of racial inequality. What other discriminatory practices are ignored with the adopting of race-neutral policies? The list is extensive, including admission bias, curriculum gaps reinforcing Eurocentricism, unequal resource allocation favoring predominantly white institutions, racial discrimination, and harassment fostering unwelcome environments, under-representation of minority groups in leadership roles, as well as racial stereotyping, microaggressions, and access barriers that collectively limit opportunities for minority students. Equity, diversity, and inclusion is essential for creating an inclusive and equitable education environment that recognizes and addresses the deep-rooted issues embedded in the system. Beyond discrimination in academia, what are the real-life implications of overturning EDI on students with marginalized identities? The majority of anti-EDI legislation could have severe consequences on students, as many bills would once again make it easier for universities to systematically exclude certain groups from attending their college, and some bills would remove the majority of the already limited resources students with marginalized identities currently have access to. This could have major impacts on students' overall well-being, as well as their actual and perceived safety. Additionally, a person's ability to access and succeed in higher education is crucial in our society to growing their socioeconomic status. Without EDI policies, higher education can be another tool used to further the systematic oppression by creating another barrier marginalized communities will have to face in order to gain power in our society. Despite the current backlash, we have power to make changes to ensure that EDI continues in higher education. As we have seen throughout this podcast, EDI is necessary in addressing past wrongs, and students are often at the forefront of change regarding EDI. So right now, as backlash is rampant, your voice matters. So, what can you do? Using your voice to enact change can take many different avenues. If you're interested in more information on this incoming Utah legislative session, how to get started in advocacy work, or how to get involved with other changemakers as passionate as we are, join our newsletter and follow our podcast for more.