As university officials continue to face criticism regarding their handling of anti-Semitism on campus, Republican decision-makers and major university donors have expanded their criticisms in recent weeks of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, with some colleges and companies completely cutting their initiatives in this area.
Key Facts
Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, which aim to increase the representation of historically underrepresented students and faculty in colleges, companies, and government agencies, were significantly implemented following the “Black Lives Matter” movement in 2020, although these efforts have faced opposition from Republican decision-makers and university donors, who have since claimed that many of these programs favor some groups over others.
Main Criticisms
Billionaire and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, a Harvard University alumnus, targeted the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion program, claiming in a post last month that the faculty members in this program do not respond to complaints from Jewish students, Asian students, or non-transgender white students (Harvard University expanded its anti-Semitism racial bias program just a week later).
Ackman wrote a harsh post on X on Wednesday questioning the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), asking why the school’s contributions to a diversity, equity, and inclusion nonprofit run by MIT board chair Marc Rowan’s wife are “consistent with MIT’s stated mission” or why the school would spend money on an organization that Ackman claims “has had no impact and has not secured any other donors over the past five years at least.”
Parity.Org confirmed to Forbes that MIT has not made any investments in the nonprofit, and that donations come from individual donations, corporate donations, and donor-advised funds.
Main Criticisms
Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs have also faced criticism from donors at the University of Pennsylvania, where Stone Ridge Asset Management CEO Ross Stevens threatened last week to withdraw a $100 million donation to the Ivy League university based on his belief that the university was prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the expense of academic excellence, according to a New York Times report.
At a congressional hearing on anti-Semitism earlier this month, Congressman Burgess Owens (Republican from Utah) questioned the leaders of Harvard, Pennsylvania, and MIT about what he termed the “failure” of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs to “protect Jewish communities across the country at your universities,” while Congressman Kevin Kiley (Republican from California) emphasized the need for “a fundamental cultural shift on campus.”
CNN analyst Fareed Zakaria also criticized universities for “neglecting the core focus on excellence in pursuit of a variety of agendas, many of which center around diversity and inclusion,” arguing that these agendas have “turned these universities into places where the prevailing goal is political and social engineering, not academic merit.”
Major Opponents
National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial defended Harvard University President Claudine Gay amid calls for her resignation, praising her in a post on X as an “outstanding scholar and professor” and stating that recent attacks on her leadership at Harvard are “merely political theater that advances a white supremacist agenda.” Morial linked to an article in Essence magazine written by Alfonso David, president of the Global Black Economic Forum, which alleges that Ackman “chooses to ignite ‘anti-woke’ culture wars against the most visible Black woman he can target.” Ackman responded to Morial’s arguments in a post on X, sarcastically stating, “Now I seem to be a white racist,” adding, “Why should someone be considered racist or a white racist when they raise legitimate criticisms about a leader from a minority community?” Civil rights activist Al Sharpton also criticized Ackman, saying to the Associated Press, “Now we have one of the richest men in America attacking a Black woman with an impeccable academic record.”
Opponents
Main
Stacey Boardt, former vice president of the Anti-Defamation League, told Axios this week that she believes “traditional diversity, equity, and inclusion have not been inclusive enough to combat anti-Semitism,” noting that it is essential to address the gaps, although she emphasized that the solution to combating anti-Semitism is not to cut diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, but to expand them. She told Axios: “The culture war against diversity, and efforts to demonize diversity, equity, and inclusion do not make Jewish people safer. This is just an exploitation of Jewish people’s fears for political gain.”
Further Reading
These are the billionaires pressing universities over claims of surging anti-Semitism
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