Dr. Kevin Cokley
Among the most problematic aspects of the NYT article is using the concerns of Black students to criticize the DEI efforts at the University of Michigan. Conservative outlets have weaponized Black students’ legitimate concerns about declining Black student enrollment as an indictment of the amount of money spent on DEI initiatives, as well as an overall indictment of DEI. A day after the New York Times article, a Fox News article was published titled “Black students dismiss University of Michigan’s DEI programs as ‘well-meaning failure’: Report.”
I am skeptical that highlighting Black students’ criticisms of DEI initiatives, especially by conservative critics of DEI, is based in a genuine concern about the welfare of Black students. If these critics were genuinely concerned about the issues raised by Black students they would be just as vocal in proposing solutions, but of course we do not see evidence of this. Instead, they use the age-old tactic of divide and conquer by trying to pit Black students against Black faculty and staff who are disproportionately in the roles of Chief Diversity Officers.
Using Black students to criticize DEI is a cynical and disingenuous tactic whose primary purpose is to ultimately discredit all DEI initiatives. The concerns raised about the effectiveness of DEI initiatives should be addressed; however, these issues reflect systemic challenges of higher education rather than a failure of the University of Michigan’s DEI efforts.
While the NYT article is presented as an objective piece of journalism, there are many factual problems and biases in the article, some of which were addressed by a response from the University of Michigan’s Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Tabbye Chavous. The NYT is not immune from publishing inaccuracies, as evidenced when a scholar of African American life fact-checked some statements and disputed a central claim about slavery made in the 1619 Project. However, the NYT still made the decision to publish the incorrect statement. Similarly, when Chavous fact-checked more than 130 questions, the fact checked items were ignored in the final article. In both instances, it appears there was an underlying agenda which, in the case of DEI at Michigan, was intended to portray DEI efforts in a negative light.
The low enrollment of Black students at flagship public universities, especially the “public Ivies”, has long been an issue in higher education. The percentages of Black students at schools comparable to the University of Michigan, such as UC Berkeley, UCLA, UNC Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, and the University of Texas at Austin, range from around 3 to 8%. While there are always concerns that the percentages of Black students at these institutions should reflect or approximate their representation at the state level, generally speaking their percentages never reach state-level percentages.
The challenges to increasing Black enrollment at the University of Michigan were made more difficult with the constitutional amendment Proposal 2, which restricted public universities from considering race in admissions decision. The NYT article, while referencing Proposal 2 relative to faculty hiring, did not discuss the institutional challenges it presented to increasing Black enrollment. This did not prevent the University of Michigan from creating Wolverine Pathways, a program designed to remove the barriers facing students from under-resourced communities. Even with this program, making traction with increasing Black enrollment has been slow. It is understandable why Black students are frustrated. However, it should be pointed out that between 2016 and 2021 there was 1% modest growth of Black students, and a 13% increase in new Black student enrollment over the past year. Nevertheless, the overall slow growth is frustrating, but it is misguided to place the blame on DEI initiatives.
Perhaps most importantly, the NYT article fails to contextualize the frustrations of the Black students as being a reflection of being Black in America. When Black students at the University of Michigan critique DEI efforts as being too inclusive, superficial, and failing to directly denounce and combat anti-Blackness, they reflect a general sentiment among Black people in this country that U.S. institutions were not designed with Black people’s best interests in mind. Furthermore, antiBlackness, as kihani ross reminded us, is more than racism. It is the disdain, disregard and disgust for the very existence of Black people. Black students understandably want DEI efforts to eradicate antiBlackness, but as is the case with many intractable societal problems (e.g., racism, sexism, homophobia), the total eradication of deeply held attitudes requires more than DEI programming, which cannot realistically be expected to completely undo years of socialization.
DEI is not perfect, and thoughtful, critical questions grounded in accurate data and evidence are welcome (as stated by Tabbye Chavous). However, using Black students to criticize and ultimately undermine DEI efforts is operating in bad faith. The NYT article failed in its journalistic integrity by not presenting a more balanced view (what has gone right with DEI at the University of Michigan). Despite the odds being stacked against DEI in the current climate, we will keep fighting for what we know is the morally and educationally right thing to do. We hope other schools will do the same.
Dr. Kevin Cokley is the University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, Professor of Psychology and Associate Chair for Diversity Initiatives at the University of Michigan.
