Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, DEI. Take a quick second just to think about what that means to you. Think about how your background and experiences have likely influenced your thoughts about this, and how that has built your views.

These programs were mandated by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s executive order 11246 in 1965 which directed that government employers hire without regard to race or color, and ensure the fair treatment of employees. 

This program has gone through changes since then, most importantly, it expanded beyond the government and to private employers. The programs have also been expanded with the Americans with Disabilities Act, “that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities (ADA.gov).”

Akron Public Schools (APS) established many DEI programs in the late 2010s into the 2020s, which were in response to district concerns about student opportunities and resources. In June of 2020, APS was the first school district in the US to designate racism as a public health crisis, paving the way for a national model, which solidified that “There is absolutely no excellence without access, without diversity, equity and inclusion” (akron.com). This was bolstered by a vast and arching DEI program which has supported students, staff, and policy making in the local district. 

However, these programs are now facing backlash from the new Trump Administration which has taken numerous actions against DEI programs. For APS, this was mostly from the ‘Dear Colleague’ letter which directed educational facilities to end any consideration of race or proxy for race (ie, socioeconomics, zip code, etc) by February 19th or risk losing federal funding.

This has prompted an immediate response from the district. Soon after the letter, the APS Superintendent Michael Robinson asked the school board to end all DEI programs and eliminate the DEI committee from the board bylaws during the February 17th meeting without the motion going through the committee. 

The board then requested that the motion to end those policies and bylaws be moved through committee to go through a policy review, which put the district over the February 19th compliance deadline. No action has been taken by the federal government to enforce the deadline or penalise the district for noncompliance. 

This action is unique to APS, which has a board that finds value within the program. Board member Barbara Sykes has been the most vocal about the need for the department and programs, which she suggested could just be renamed to comply. Currently, the board is doing something ”that remains unique to Akron… [and] are readjusting the paradigm of how we're viewing this work” (Rene Molenaur).

This work is still being done and updates will be given as they are available.