The Impact of Dismantling Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in K-12, and Post-Secondary Education

WHEREAS, Following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the U.S. Department of Education issued a February 2025 "Dear Colleague" letter, extending the Court's interpretation of Title VI to prohibit the use of race in admissions, hiring, financial aid, scholarships, student services, and other areas of education; and 

WHEREAS, In 2025, the Trump administration has aggressively tried to discredit and discontinue the concept, language, employment and initiatives of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for all federal agencies; and 

WHEREAS, Based on the U.S. Department of Education's response to Trump's anti-DEI agenda, they launched the "End Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" portal for the purpose of allowing parents, students, and teachers to report alleged DEI programs in publicly funded schools, and 

WHEREAS, The U.S. Department of Education has threatened K-12 and post-secondary education funding, demanding schools remove all DEI language, books, curriculum, programs, and discussions; and 

WHEREAS, DEI programs are designed to close achievement gaps in education, testing scores, and funding. Statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics and The Education Trust confirm white students have a higher graduation at 90% versus Black students at 81%, white students have a higher AP exam participation at 31% versus Black students at 20%, and districts serving predominantly students of color receive 13% less per student in state and local funding. The continued existence of these disparities implicates a need to increase, not decrease access to resources for marginalized communities; and 

WHEREAS, Anti-equity activists have sought to divert attention from racism by conflating bias against Jewish and Muslim people, with bias based upon race, within educational institutions.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms resolutions in 2023, and 2024, as part of its ongoing commitment to defending DEI initiatives across all sectors, including education. 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP will advocate for the protection of DEI programs, language, and curriculum, uphold civil rights in K–12 schools, colleges, and universities, and will oppose any federal, state, or local efforts to eliminate, restrict, defund, or threaten the funding of institutions that support such initiatives.