Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The AFT is committed to diversity and equity in higher education. We are standing strong in combating the most recent extremist attacks that seek to reverse decades of progress toward racial equity in access to higher education and prohibit educators from teaching the truth about our country’s history of racial injustice.

We know that having a student body and higher education workforce that reflects the vast range of experiences in our communities has been instrumental in improving student outcomes, improving the quality of teaching and research, and providing the evidence-based research that is vital to creating the shared understandings that are the foundation for democratic participation and informed public policy responses to the many challenges we face. Those driving the current reactionary landscape are not only dismantling the legal regime that has contributed to increased diversity in our higher education system, but also actively creating new barriers that undermine our colleges and universities’ missions and erode higher education’s ability to contribute to our collective well-being.

AFT Resources:
Talking points: Pushing back on anti-DEI efforts and supporting DEI initiatives
AFT’s Weingarten Slams Supreme Court Ruling Overturning Affirmative Action in College Admissions
AFT FAQ on Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC
AFT Resolution: In Support of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity in Response to the June 2023 Supreme Court Ban on the use of Affirmative Action in College Admissions
AFT News: Ban on affirmative action is a blow to equity in higher education