When Donald Trump was inaugurated on January 20th, one of his first orders of business as the 47th President of the United States was signing an executive order that “ended radical and wasteful government DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs” (whitehouse.gov).  Radical Republican politicians have publicly tried to villainize DEI initiatives set in place during the Biden Administration, perpetuating the idea that DEI “puts white Americans at a disadvantage by giving more opportunities to people of other races, even though they are not the most qualified candidates” (CNN). While this may be a popular viewpoint today, it could not be further from the truth. DEI is not just about race, and it was created to help everyone instead of harming specific groups of people. In fact, DEI is present in many aspects of daily life: just look at wheelchair ramps for students and staff with physical disabilities or the multilingual education classes to make school more inclusive for international students. Regardless of where you stand in your political beliefs, it is indisputable that removing federal funding for DEI will seriously impact the lives of American students. 

      At Hamilton Southeastern, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have fostered an environment where students and staff from various backgrounds can thrive. While DEI efforts may not always be visible, their influence has been instrumental in shaping an inclusive school culture, supporting students academically, and ensuring that diverse perspectives are represented. 

     Lainey King is the president of the Royals for Women’s Rights (RWR) Club, one of the many student organizations created for the purpose of encouraging inclusivity at school. She uses her leadership position to educate and advocate for a society that is more inclusive for women.

      “Contrary to popular belief, women still struggle with basic respect,” King said. “Especially after the recent election, it’s important to maintain a safe space for women at HSE. While our club is centered around women, we welcome EVERYONE to join—he’s, she’s, they’s, whatever. We started last semester and have already created a strong community.” 

      After President Trump signed Executive Order 14151 into action, many public, federally funded universities have cut financial support for inclusive gender-, sexual orientation- and cultural- based groups, such as the United States Military Academy at West Point, which ordered the shutdown of all “student affinity organizations” (Congressional Research Service). If this precedent is set, it could put the clubs at HSE at risk of also losing funding, therefore hindering the students’ abilities to freely express their identities. 

     Cutting federal funding for DEI will also impact students who are applying to college. President Trump classifies affirmative action–which is defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as “an active effort to improve employment and education opportunities for minority groups” — as “racial discrimination” that should be terminated (New York Post). This is a harmful narrative that implies that the people who receive academic opportunities through affirmative action are not qualified or deserving. Kim Bakle, an ACP Speech and AP Lang teacher who has helped several students revise their scholarship essays during her time at HSE, has had firsthand experience with seeing a student lose a scholarship because University of Cincinatti has discontinued their affirmative action policies.  

     “I have a student who was an excellent candidate for a scholarship that falls under DEI,” Bakle said. “Her parents are immigrants who already work six to seven days a week to support their family, and they were hoping that she would receive this scholarship to relieve some of that financial pressure. They are now left scrambling to afford tuition to the university that she committed to several weeks ago.” 

     As DEI continues to be a topic of debate nationwide, the students and staff at HSE remain committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives. The discussion surrounding DEI is more than just a policy debate—it directly affects students’ opportunities, representation, and future success. Without these initiatives, many fear that innovation, progress, and access to education will suffer.