Story perspectives

Students Fight Back as DEI Programs Face Dismantling

3/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

DEI programs are being dismantled, and books on race and gender are banned.
New College students are affected, feeling their environment politicized.
The documentary First They Came for My College follows their struggle against policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Funding cuts and the closure of gender studies departments are among the consequences.
Students protest and filmmakers view the situation as a warning about rising authoritarianism in education.

History

Historical Context

The U.S. Supreme Court's 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger upheld affirmative action, allowing race as a factor in college admissions, a practice rooted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, recent actions to dismantle DEI programs at institutions like New College reflect ongoing debates about educational equity, echoing historical struggles against discrimination and raising concerns about civil rights regression.

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Story summary

DEI programs are being dismantled, and books on race and gender are banned.
New College students are affected, feeling their environment politicized.
The documentary First They Came for My College follows their struggle against policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Funding cuts and the closure of gender studies departments are among the consequences.
Students protest and filmmakers view the situation as a warning about rising authoritarianism in education.

1 / 2