Resource: Supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Education

In communities across America, a fight is taking place between forces for and against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in education. Labeled by right-wing strategists as a fight against Critical Race Theory (CRT), the real issue is telling the uncomfortable truth about America’s past and present. This truth helps us create positive change in our communities.

Parents have been handed a literal strategy guide via FOX News to take over school board races and meetings. They are told that their children will learn to hate themselves. They claim that CRT preaches hatred and division. They are certain that it is prevalent in K-12 curricula (it isn’t). 

These parents have been told that CRT and DEI are one in the same. That assertion couldn’t be further from the truth. 

The work of diversity, equity, and inclusion seeks to ensure that students of all backgrounds and identities are respected and affirmed by a district’s teaching, environment, and policies. It is about awareness, care, and acceptance--the very opposite of hate.

For those who have asked since 2020 what to do: the time is now to raise your voice. Whether or not you have children, the future of education impacts all of us in our lives, businesses, and communities. Embracing our differences is an essential skill for students navigating a world that is more diverse and interconnected than ever. Learning the truth about America’s past helps us to create a path to a better and more equitable future. 

We created this guide to provide clear action steps to help you get started or plug into existing efforts where you live. While there is no checklist to the work required for dismantling white supremacy, it won’t be achieved standing on the sidelines. 

Read it. Share it. Act on it. Our children, educators, and communities need you engaged in this fight.