As part of Howard’s 2025 Speaker Series, Stacey Abrams and a panel of scholars explored education’s evolving landscape and HBCUs’ role in social and political change.
Abrams, Ronald W. Walters’ chair at Howard discussed “the weaponization of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies,” claiming that DEI is a framework designed to address systemic inequalities and expand opportunities for historically marginalized groups.
She said that DEI has been “integral to the history and progress of African Americans, especially in relation to HBCUs.”
The panel also featured Justin Hansford, law professor and Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center director, and Ivory A. Toldson, counseling psychology professor and education scholar.
The event was held on Feb. 25 in the Myrtilla Miner building and co-hosted by Howard’s School of Education.
Abrams pointed out that many key policies, such as Title I funding for low-income schools, the Respect for Marriage Act and the Morrill Land-Grant Act, were established to promote equity but believes they were often “forgotten to idealize”—meaning their broader purpose has been overlooked or diminished over time.
“DEI is under significant attack through legislation,” she said.
Institutions nationwide have rolled back affirmative action and related policies. At Harvard University, all 12 staff members of their Slavery Remembrance program were fired the day after Trump signed the executive order ending DEI initiatives. Furthermore, The University of Akron will no longer host its annual “Rethinking Race” forum that has been held for two decades.
Hansford, an expert on critical race theory and human rights, added that the threat to DEI policies is part of a broader movement to privatize education and reframe public opinion to fit a xenophobic narrative.
He shed light on how executive orders and federal policies are being used to suppress the progress made in the educational sector, invoking the historical struggles Black communities have faced for equal access to quality education.
The recent confirmation of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education has further complicated this issue, as she has pledged continued funding for HBCUs and specific programs at Howard University, yet aligns with Trump’s broader agenda to dismantle the Department of Education.
Hansford described this moment as “40 days of Trumpism,” highlighting the Trump administration’s efforts that have threatened civil rights protections through legal and policy maneuvers.
He believes that executive orders and “dear ” letters—typically used to signal policy direction—are now being deployed frivolously, often at odds with constitutional protections such as the First and Fifth Amendments.
While the executive branch wields certain powers, Hansford made it clear that “this is NOT a monarchy.”
A key component of this strategy, Hansford argued, is the push toward privatizing education and reducing federal oversight, which disproportionately harms HBCUs. In 2021-2022, funds from federal, state, and local governments were 67 percent of public HBCUs’ total revenue, according to Best Colleges.
Panel speaker Toldson posed a fundamental question: “What do we want?” acknowledging that “the spirit of DEI has been lost, taken advantage of and overthrown by class.”
Hansford expanded on this by outlining a vision for education, asking whether the future should shift toward entrepreneurship and corporate independence or if the focus should remain on seeking power through traditional structures, reminiscent of the post-Brown v. Board of Education era debates.
Hansford asked, “Do we prepare to create our own to a different degree, or do we hope for power in two to four years?”
Toldson expanded on this point by emphasizing that education is the key to liberation, particularly for Black individuals.
He noted that ideological battles over the role of education in society are not new, referencing the historical tensions between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois’ approaches to upward mobility.
While Washington promoted vocational training as a pathway to economic independence, Du Bois championed higher education as a tool for broader intellectual and social liberation.
For Toldson, the current ideological battle involves confronting attacks on education head-on and reimagining educational spaces as platforms for justice, not merely for business or economic advancement.
He pointed out the demographic disparities in the labor force, emphasizing that when Black individuals “learn and want more, it’s seen as a threat.”
Hansford reinforced this point.
“When you teach a Black child to read, they are no longer slaves,” he said.
He called for what he deemed an escape from mental slavery through education and critical discourse.
However, Hansford warned that policy is no longer being driven by narrative but rather by political convenience, resulting in a dangerous erosion of educated discourse in decision-making spaces.
Toldson concluded by highlighting the constitutional pushback among courts. He emphasized that legal challenges remain a crucial battleground in the fight to protect educational equity.
“This is an ideological battle,” he said, one that requires not only resistance but also a proactive vision for the future of education.
As the conversation shifted to solutions, Abrams called for redefining DEI to ensure its spirit is not lost in political battles.
She advised that the focus should be on creating educational systems that promote inclusion and justice, especially in times of adversity.
Throughout the discussion, the speakers challenged students to think critically about their role in advocating for the future of education.
Abrams concluded by offering three pathways to power—education, elections and the economy—and urged students to create their own moments of knowledge, drawing from the vast history of resistance and resilience that Black communities have shown throughout the years.
Many students describe that they left the event with a renewed sense of purpose, understanding that the future of education and Black empowerment lies in their hands.
“This is your nation. If you are afraid, then you have already lost,” Toldson said.
Copy edited by Aniyah Genama
