Lately, I’ve been in conversation with several organisations that were “all in” for minority-serving institutions (MSIs) in the US, and are now either backtracking or trying to rebrand their support. If you or your organisation is doing this, I ask you to stop.
Think about it – what does it say that you cared about MSIs until the Trump administration told you equity and diversity don’t matter? To me, it says you never really cared. Imagine what students are thinking.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions were created or designated in response to the exclusion of under-represented communities from mainstream higher education, as well as to meet those communities’ growing educational needs as their numbers expanded.
MSIs, then, have long been engines of upward mobility, cultural enrichment and intellectual empowerment. Today, they serve as spaces of possibility for students of all backgrounds. Their mission is transformational; dismissing it as part of a crusade to “eliminate DEI” is not just shortsighted and uninformed, it’s dangerous. Corporations, foundations and individuals must remain committed to their support.
ADVERTISEMENT
The administration’s push to dismantle DEI efforts ignores a basic truth – that the US is diverse, and our approaches to education, leadership development and innovation must reflect that diversity. Eliminating efforts to support the nation’s diverse population will not erase inequality but it will stop us addressing it.
Supporting MSIs is not about politics; it’s about common sense and justice. These institutions educate 26 per cent of all students and more than 50 per cent of students of colour. They graduate first-generation college students, veterans, student parents, immigrants and individuals from low-income backgrounds. They produce leaders in medicine, law, education, science and business, who reflect and invest in their communities.
ADVERTISEMENT
For corporations seeking to diversify their talent pipelines, MSIs are important partners. Investing in them is not charity: it is strategic. It signals that you understand that the future of the country is multiracial, multilingual and multifaceted.
According to the Chamber of Commerce, “The US is projected to become ever more cosmopolitan, with diverse Americans projected to account for more than half (50.3 per cent) of the population by 2045. The populations of Black, Asian and Hispanic Americans are all expected to rise, with Hispanics anticipated to account for 30 per cent of the labor force by 2060. This is due to higher labor force participation and birth rates.” MSIs know how to cultivate this talent because they have been doing it for decades.
Even President Trump himself purports to understand the value of MSIs – or, at least, of HBCUs. He recently issued an executive order stating that “Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) remain integral to American students’ pursuit of prosperity and wellbeing, providing the pathway to a career and a better life”.
He added that “it is the policy of my Administration to support HBCUs in: advancing America’s full potential; fostering more and better opportunities in higher education; providing the highest-quality education; obtaining equal opportunities for participation in Federal programs; ensuring college-educated Americans are empowered to advance the common good at home and abroad; and making our Nation more globally competitive”.
ADVERTISEMENT
The order pledges to establish, as his predecessors since Jimmy Carter have done, a “White House Initiative on HBCUs”, which will work with “private-sector employers, educational associations, philanthropic organisations and other partners to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide the highest-quality education to an increasing number of students”.
That ought to calm supporters fearful of a backlash from the administration if they keep supporting MSIs – even if on the surface the administration’s clampdown on DEI might seem to contradict the order’s rhetoric.
Moreover, as we move through this moment of national uncertainty, we cannot lose sight of what makes the US vibrant: the recognition that talent exists in every community and that we all benefit when everyone has the chance to thrive.
MSIs embody these values. I urge you to support them, not despite the current political climate but because of it. Now is the time to invest boldly, speak truthfully and stand together with colleges and universities committed to educating all students.
ADVERTISEMENT
Marybeth Gasman is the Samuel DeWitt Proctor endowed chair and distinguished professor at Rutgers University and executive director of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions.
