On August 8, Vice President José Villalba announced that Wake Forest would be closing its Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI).
In an update from the Vice President, Villalba also announced that the Intercultural Center, the Women’s Center, and the LGBTQ+ Center would all become a part of Campus Life.
“These are complex matters, and we are not alone in addressing them, as similar works unfold across the higher education landscape,” Villalba said.
Wake Forest University closing the ODI is not just a reallocation of funds or a departmental shift, it is a microcosm of a much bigger issue that we are facing in our country. Government officials, organizations and universities continue to fall victim to Trump’s intimidation tactics, and it only makes conditions worse across higher education and across the country.
Attacks on DEI across higher education
This change follows President Donald Trump’s attacks on higher education that began last February, when Trump signed executive orders that banned practices related to diversity, including D.E.I. offices. President Trump has targeted Harvard University the most, freezing over $2.2 billion of their federal funding in April due to the University’s unwillingness to adhere to his orders.
Harvard sued the administration, to which President Alan Garber, wrote in response that Trump’s actions are, “Indiscriminately slashing medical, scientific, and technological research undermines the nation’s ability to save American lives, foster American success, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation.”
According to The Harvard Crimson, “The University, which is facing a cascade of investigations into everything from antisemitism accusations to foreign funding sources, has now spent months negotiating with the White House behind the scenes.”
However, it seems that all of the resolutions of these negotiations are in favor of the Trump administration’s desires. President Garber has received a 25% pay cut, and Harvard has closed its D.E.I office, fired two leaders at Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies and ended its relationship with Birzeit University, a Palestinian college.
Harvard’s motto is “Veritas,” which means “truth”. Ironic, as it seems that is exactly what continues to be censored at the University and throughout the country.
The truth about mass firings, the truth about disappearing health data, the truth about “fake news,” and the truth about tax cuts for low-income families. The truth about the 2020 presidential election, it was not rigged or stolen.
Trump’s pursuit of complete control
Donald Trump has never served this country in the pursuit of the truth. He serves in the pursuit of power and wealth. He serves in the pursuit of gaining complete control.
I realize it is much easier said than done to stand up to the President of the United States. It is not a black and white situation. Wake Forest University employs thousands of people and educates thousands of students every day. I understand the concern that the University could end up in a legal battle with the administration, just as Harvard has.
But what I am more concerned about is upholding democracy in this country. Closing our ODI office is a step in the wrong direction towards losing control of this institution and towards a dangerous future for minorities at the University. Without the ODI, Wake Forest is at risk of losing representation for marginalized groups, safe work environments and inclusivity amongst the student body. An even bigger risk is that this one step would lead to more actions from the Trump administration against minority groups. It already has in many other sectors, such as Trump’s war on immigrants.
These very actions parallel regimes in which minority groups were brutally murdered, the public lost all of their rights and totalitarianism became the norm.
We’ve seen this before. We’ve seen the loss of democracy with the rise of Mussolini, we’ve seen the violence during Stalin’s regime and the use of propaganda by Hitler to win the support of Germany.
The results were the deaths of millions of people.
The comparison of Trump’s presidency to these situations is not an exaggeration. And if we do not do more to show opposition, it could become our reality.
In an interview with Bob Woodward and Robert Costa of the Washington Post, Trump once said, “Real power is, I don’t even want to use the word, fear.”
Obtaining power through fear is a pretty cheap way to lead a country. It doesn’t require skill, humility, empathy, intelligence or accountability. It requires cruelty, and it requires cowardice.
Donald Trump should not control our fear. He doesn’t have it unless we give it to him. All over the country, scientists are stepping down from their jobs out of fear. Congressmen are passing bills because they are afraid of Trump’s reaction. If we, as a country, continue to make decisions out of fear, we continue to let Trump have control over us.
Wake Forest prides itself on its motto “Pro Humanitate” which translates to “For Humanity”. The University preaches the message of caring for and bettering the lives of others. Closing the ODI is not for humanity. It is for one man.
Wake Forest University writes, “No matter your interpretation, it’s an opportunity to leave the world better than we found it.” My interpretation is simple to understand. “Pro Humanitate” is about looking out for your neighbor, treasuring your freedom, and valuing your autonomy.
“Leaving the world better than we found it”, in this case, is standing up to the man.
