By Shaunna Harrington
President Trump is gunning to weaken our K-12 public schools, and that should outrage all of us in the Commonwealth. Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Education announced all education institutions must eliminate DEI programs in 14 days to maintain federal funding.
The Trump administration wields DEI as a bogeyman to scare people into believing it is causing grave injustices. But the bogeyman is no longer frightening when we talk about what diversity, equity and inclusion actually mean in our K-12 public schools in Massachusetts.
Our commitment to diversity means we make sure kids from non-majority groups do not feel invisible, excluded, devalued, or unsafe. It means we celebrate multiple cultural traditions and teach kids to respect people different from themselves. We express our commitment to diversity in anti-bullying policies. We express it in curriculum that incorporates Native Americans, African Americans, immigrants, suffragists, laborers, and other groups that too often were left out.
Our commitment to equity means we believe in fairness. It means we recognize that one-size-doesn’t-fit-all, and that we need to provide different kinds of supports to kids for everyone to be successful. We express our commitment to equity by providing services to students with special needs and students learning English. We express it by helping kids understand why their classmate with autism needs an aide. We express it by advocating for school funding formulas that help equalize spending across districts despite differences in local tax bases and family income levels.
Our commitment to inclusion means we believe all kids deserve to feel a strong sense of belonging in school. We express our commitment to inclusion by making sure all kids feel known and valued. We express it by making our school buildings accessible to people with physical disabilities. We express it by excusing students from school, or providing them with extensions on schoolwork, for them to observe a religious holiday the school calendar does not recognize.
Our K-12 public schools in Massachusetts are stronger because of our commitment to the values of diversity, equity and inclusion. Talk to your family members, neighbors and colleagues about what these values really mean in our K-12 public schools. Let your local school board know you support policies and practices that support these values. Tell your elected officials to fight Trump’s plans to diminish K-12 public education. Our kids are counting on us.
Shaunna Harrington, PhD is a Watertown resident and a Teaching Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Northeastern University where she leads the teacher preparation programs.
If diversity meant only “anti-bullying policies”; if equity meant only “providing services to students with special needs”; if inclusion meant only “making our school buildings accessible to people with physical disabilities”, we would have unanimity of opinion. Indeed, those protections are guaranteed under law.
That is not all DEI means, however, and why so many families are relieved that President Trump opposes its less laudable goals. In the very letter Dr. Harrington links to, the Trump Administration states unequivocally that “discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible.” Yet we find that “colleges, universities, and K-12 schools have routinely used race as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring, training, and other institutional programming”. “Under any banner,” the letter declares “discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal.” How is it inclusive to “teach students that certain racial groups bear unique moral burdens that others do not”, as the letter cites; to “stigmatize students who belong to particular racial groups based on crude racial stereotypes”? As Orwell might have written “Division is Unity” or “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” (Oh wait, he did.)
The Massachusetts Family Institute lists other 180s President Trump has called for: “he has reinforced protections for women’s sports, ended federal support for chemical and surgical gender transitions for minors, and ensured that K-12 schools prioritize education over political indoctrination” (see MaFamily.org, under education). One is free to disagree or dispute these initiatives (or counter-initiatives), but many people welcome them as long overdue.
Speaking of timing, it is unfortunate Dr. Harrington chose to represent teachers’ indoctrination as a net-positive so soon after the disgrace of the Mass Teachers Association (MTA) linking to the basest of antisemitic tropes in their pro-Palestinian curriculum. It’s all over the news, but the Boston.com story of Feb. 14 is the most sympathetic to the MTA’s position. Accusing two Democrat legislators in the Democrat-dominated state legislature of “McCarthyism”, playing the victim, is a poor defense for being caught in the act of promoting the very discrimination they claim to oppose. But as the story also relates, it appears to be longstanding MTA policy. Accusing Israel of “genocidal war on the Palestinian people in Gaza” but two months after Hamas launched a pogrom from Gaza, murdering over a thousand, kidnapping hundreds, and committing other atrocities not fit to be repeated in a family newspaper—and then withdrawing back to Gaza to hide in hospitals, mosques, UN outposts, private homes—that takes a special sort of depravity one can only view with awe. I admire the nerve, the chutzpah, but please spare me the lecture. The MTA lacks the moral standing.
A brief update on the subject. DEI on one hand, antisemitism on the other.
Massachusetts teachers’ union under fire for alleged antisemitic educational materials
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/massachusetts-teachers-association-alleged-antisemitism/
And , thank God the US Supreme Court effectively ended affirmative action based on race for college admissions in June 2023. The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does matter. DEI(B) does not.
I never thought I’d write this, but I stand with Mayor Pete. From Real Clear Politics, 2/20:
“Secretary of Transportation and IOP Pritzker Fellow Pete Buttigieg joined a panel for University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics to discuss the recent election loss for Democrats.
‘What do we mean when we talk about diversity? Is it caring for people’s different experiences and making sure no one is mistreated because of them, which I will always fight for? Or is it making people sit through a training that looks like something out of Portlandia, which I have also experienced.
‘And it is how it is how Trump Republicans are made.’”
More than three million Trump Republicans were made between the 2020 and 2024 elections; more than ten million since 2016. Democrats could learn from Mayor Pete’s experience, or they could double down doubling down. I think the country is safer with two electable parties (smaller mood swings), but it’s their party and they can cry if they want to.
I am rather pleased to see DOGE’s evisceration of DEI grants to the DOE. At least my Federal tax dollars are not being wasted for this anymore. But my State and City tax dollars are.
WPS got about $5.5M from DESE in 2024. Not clear how much of this will be gone in 14 days if DEI is allowed to continue. We’ll see.
And this from two famous DEI gurus:
Ibram X. Kendi/Robin DiAngelo Excerpt: “White people raised in Western society are conditioned into a white supremacist worldview. Racism is the norm; it is not unusual. As a result, interaction with White people is at times so overwhelming, draining, and incomprehensible that it causes serious anguish for People of Color. Furthermore, racism is essentially capitalist; capitalism is essentially racist. To love capitalism is to love racism.”
Very inclusive, indeed. Are we indoctrinating our students with this rubbish?
CEO Bill Ackman wrote at length about DEI; small quote follows:
“Under DEI’s ideology, any policy, program, educational system, economic system, grading system, admission policy, (and even climate change due its disparate impact on geographies and the people that live there), etc. that leads to unequal outcomes among people of different skin colors is deemed racist,”
https://twitter.com/BillAckman/status/1742441534627184760
Key word here is “unequal outcomes” as Equity in DEI supports equal outcomes regardless of input, performance, qualifications. Sounds fair, doesn’t it? Transgender competitors in women’s sports just came to mind.
As to the rest, Diversity, Inclusion (and Belonging!! in WPS), the applications for it are all over the place, to the point that it is reminiscing of a well known character: “When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” Hence the mess we are in.
I’m sure you are equally thrilled with DOGE firing all the people who manage our nuclear weapons and the response to the bird flu (remember the price of eggs which was supposed to drop on day one of the Golden Era?)
Musk is a nightmare. His actions have already caused significant damage to real people and real problems, and it will take a long time to rebuild after this catastrophe. And it’s nowhere near over yet. MAGA is on a rampage.
Your rant against diversity, equity, and inclusion (all of which you apparently abhor) isn’t worth the keystrokes to respond.
I do not rant. I am not even excited right now. And facts are on my side. Language definitions can be difficult. You are missing that Watertown added Belonging to its DEI platform. Read about it.
Thank you, Shaunna, for pointing out how important DEI is and how it actually impacts our students. Your letter hits the mark on so many points. Let’s hope our state can stay strong and will have enough funding to keep doing the good work that it’s been doing.
I agree.
Well said. We are lucky to live in a state which values people and doesn’t seek to pit them against each other. That also describes Watertown, my former hometown!
I am a City of Watertown taxpayer, so I wish we would follow the example of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard who has identified about $20 million a year in savings for taxpayers by ordering her department’s staff to cut all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
How much do we spend in DEI(B) initiatives and training in Watertown? How about spending those monies in worthwhile endeavors. I’m sure our PD or DPW could use the funds.
DEI also includes the concepts Diversity as in helping people who might otherwise exclude someone because they are from another race, gender age etc. Not a terribly harmful concept. Equity is about fairness, as in fair compensation. Again, a simple to understand benefit to everyone. And of course inclusion is about everyones ideas being valuable and worth hearing. That one is a lot harder as we all know that some ideas are just terrible, Like the blanket objection to DEI 🙂
It is reasonable assumption that “discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible” is clearly part of DEI so the extreme emotional objection to DEI is highly irrational and, I believe, it is being used to excite anger in people and to create an us against them kind of people control by mental manipulators. This anger and resulting hatred is what republicans are using to divide the country. Classic tactic that dictators use to gain power. Democracy is under attack. What side are you on?
Now that Democracy is finally making a comeback, I am for all the ongoing changes: secure borders, dismissal of DEI, fiscal accountability, prosecution of corrupted bureaucrats, dissolution of USAID, DOE, and EPA, to name a few.
Witness the resurgence. We are not angry. We want security and fairness, and are, indeed, excited about that.
I would have to agree completely with this analysis. There has been division sown in our society to serve the power interests of certain powerful classes. It is blatantly anti-democratic.
And I must ask the question, what in the world could be possibly wrong with the concept of belonging. A sense of belonging is something we all–especially every child–should have. It is essential to social cohesion, unless one opposes the idea of a cohesive community.
Thank you Dr. Harrington for your clear explanation for what DEI actually represents and stands for. As a white woman living in Watertown, I have been working as an anti-racist educator for most of my adult life. My first life experience with discrimination based on race came when I was a teenager working with a group, the Revitalization Corps, seeking to bridge the divide between inner city Hartford and suburban West Hartford, Ct. I was volunteering during the summer in the 1960’s when Civil Rights riots were occurring across the country. One day, a group of us, all Black except for me, were walking on the quiet street to get sodas at a nearby store, when a police car rolled by and tear gassed us. I saw first hand how Black people were treated differently because of the color of their skin. That never would have happened if it was an all white group with one Black person. Since then, I have learned about the many ways that people of color are treated differently from white people through red lining, bank loans, job discrimination, etc. etc.
There is a quote that I think applies here: “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.” (source unknown). I choose to use my privilege to advocate for people who are discriminated against and who have not (historically or currently) had access to the resources, advantages and privileges that I, as a white woman, have had. As an educator, I encourage all of my fellow community members to look deep into our hearts and think about how and where we benefit from our institutions and social structures and make sure that ALL of our community members can access the same benefits and advantages. Once we ALL have access and are free from discrimination, then we will have achieved an inclusive community.
“When people get used to preferential treatment, equal treatment seems like discrimination.”
Thomas Sowell
That’s exactly what I was thinking. White people are so used to having preference that to some of them equal treatment seems like discrimination.
The commenter above likes to tout meritocracy. Look around in your travels throughout the world and you will see that, at best, meritocracy is imperfect.
There are tons of people who get jobs or other opportunities for reasons other than merit. They have connections, or their family does. The belong to the tribe in power. They live in the right neighborhood. Etc, etc. etc.
Trying to balance that out is tricky business, I admit. But to do nothing only allows America’s social problems to fester further.
If you are vocal about not liking what’s being done currently, you must propose an alternative. Otherwise you are just ranting and making problems worse.
I adore what’s being done currently; doing away with DEI and surplus bureaucracy.
Here we go again with rant, rant, rant. It seems that you and others got the same memo. It’s funny how those who, in fact, “rant” accuse others of doing it.
By the way, life is not fair for everybody all the time. I have earned everything I got. I took advantage of opportunities and succeeded financially and otherwise. But it was not easy. I chose working hard instead of blaming others for my shortcomings. Then again, I am not a socialist. Meritocracy works.
“Surplus bureaucracy” is apparently things like managing our nuclear assets and our response to bird flu? So much for the price of eggs being a concern!
“I chose working hard instead of blaming others for my shortcomings. Then again, I am not a socialist. Meritocracy works.”
That’s a pretty harsh, simplistic and self congratulatory assessment of many people you don’t know. To paraphrase James Baldwin, I’d like to see you deliver those remarks from the stage of the Strand Theatre.
Meritocracy is imperfect. Out in the working world, I have seen a plenty of dead wood in positions they don’t deserve. To claim otherwise is to risk absurdity.
BTW, I have worked hard too. And I feel grateful for my good fortune and the opportunities I have had.
Life is unfair as John Kennedy said. But he and his brothers worked to make it more fair for folks who faced unfair circumstances through no fault of their own.
Things have changed somewhat in my lifetime, but to be sure, systemic unfairness still persists. To deny that and propose doing nothing, perpetuates social ills that hold our country (and our economy)n back.
Is there a point to capitalizing black, but not white? If not, no problem; if so, the point escapes me.
My mother also protested for civil rights in the 1960s, earning an overnight stay in the Jackson, MS jail. Thanks to her, and you, the country is immeasurably better. I personally feel the programs you now support have done and will continue to do a disservice to that progress.
Civil rights activism then was far different than it is now. Your mother did the right thing, where DEI and similar endeavors are execrable attempts to distort reality.
Like the one example above. Thomas Sowell’s quote did not refer to “White people”, as being alleged. Nice try.
Currious, how do you know Thomas Sowell wasn’t referring to white people?
Read Sowell’s work. Context matters when you are currious(sic).
Unless you are what he characterized as “anointed”.
Maybe Sowell’s quote didn’t refer to white people when he made it, but it does apply. Think about it.
See my response to you below at Erik Jepsen on February 23, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Yes 100%. We are all more than our skin color, and we all can be better. However, 400 years of white advantaged system does not equate to 10 years of restoration or a couple of decades of Affirmative Action. Enslavement built this country and that debt has never been paid back, and only grossly increased. If 40 acres and a mule had been paid then there’d be no need for Affirmative Action or any other system correction. Legislation following Restoration only re-created the previous system and doubled down in some cases, such as in Redlining. Other groups of people have received reparations, why not African Americans?
Affirmative Action began in the Kennedy/Johnson administration; so six decades ago, or two to three generations. I agree that the century of Reconstruction (not Restoration) and Jim Crow was at least as shameful a chapter in American history as slavery (which was widely practiced across the globe). Now, more than half a century after the Civil Rights legislation of the mid-60s, however, it’s reasonable to ask what’s next. We’re not that country anymore. And the courts have grown only more skeptical at racial quotas and pitting one ethnic group against another. Arguing over events of 60 and 160 years ago feels pointless.
400 years of enslavement, full of torture, has never been paid for and it was followed by 160 years of lynching, numerous other ways of murder, a school to prison pipeline, medical experimentation, redlining, poor health, high maternal mortality rate…systemic disadvantage after systemic disadvantage. Reconstruction was aborted before it could make a difference. Black GIs were killed for asking for their rightful benefits, Emmett Till’s accuser just died and one biracial president only reignited racial tension. So this accumulation of systemic disadvantages is quite present. However, the number or years from events or where it took place could be said of many such situations. It’s not the point if the situation hasn’t been addressed properly. People getting what they are owed, being celebrated or talking about their experiences does not take away me. My ethnic group was lynched too but when it was relabelled white some 90 years ago, many benefits began to accrue and many disadvantages fell away.
Thanks for all the comments. Please keep the comments focused on the debate, not the other commenters.
Thank you.
The one thing I don’t like about DEI is it’s name. Go back to calling it Civil Rights or Human Rights.
They don’t hate the acronym. They hate the desire to be diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Period. They hate the Human Rights Commission and measures to ensure civil rights.
Watertown added Belonging to its DEI platform. DEIB is the acronym in my City.
You couldn’t be more wrong, about which more in a second, but you do prove a point I’ve made before: do not presume you know the motives of those who think differently from you. You’re often wrong and always insulting. That goes for both sides.
For my part, I believe passionately in human rights, which is exactly why I have no faith in Human Rights Commissions, Councils, Panels, etc. The UN’s example, which doesn’t discriminate between violators and upholders of human rights, is the model of what I mean. (Afghanistan? China?? DR Congo??? Russia????) And don’t get me started on the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (Saudi Arabia???). I believe human rights are far too important to be entrusted to such entities as Human Rights Commissions. If I had the inclination to hate anything, which I don’t, they would be on the list.
No, it does not apply. I am white, and I did not get preferential treatment – but I was treated equally without feeling discriminated.
“White people are so used to having preference…” Really? Demeaning white people does not advance whatever point was intended to be made.
As far as “dead wood” goes, Mr. President Trump is doing a fantastic job in cleaning out such thing every day. Everybody should be thankful and joyful for it.
The deadwood refers to Trump’s cabinet. The only competent hire he ever made was Stormy Daniels.
White people (white men I should say) haven’t had advantages over others? Yeah. . .right. Tell me another one.
Joy over what is happening in Washington? It seems like indulgence of angry anti-social fantasies.
Well said Joe. The denial of white privilege in this day and age is laughable. And the blind loyalty to Trump and MAGA proves that, indeed, the cruelty IS the point!
Paul, there are some white folk who should experience a month in a black skin. Then they might actually understand.
That said, there are degrees of white privilege. Given the massive inequality prevailing in our country at the moment, there are plenty of folks of all colors who can’t get a leg up.
In my view, class needs to return to our view of justice and equality. Add age to that, which I am presently finding out is the only remaining socially acceptable form of discrimination in many circles.
MLK, toward the end of his too short life, changed from a more racially based movement to what he called the “Poor People’s Movement”. This was brilliant because it broadened the base of the movement, siphoned off a lot of white backlash and sought to meet the needs of all who were suffering.
Diversity in every aspect makes communities stronger. Everyone has a contribution to make.
100%. It’s the reality of this fact and the loss of white privilege which is fueling this ignorance. The opponents of diversity see it as a pie from which they will receive a smaller slice than before. They can’t fathom the growth of the pie itself!
“ In my view, class needs to return to our view of justice and equality”.
What is “our view”? Given your frequent posts with ample Socialist bias, I don’t belong to this pluralism. Many people do not.
A view of justice and equality would have been a better choice. And age discrimination is NOT acceptable, socially or otherwise.
“[T]here are some white folk who should experience a month in a black skin. Then they might actually understand.”
Anyone else remember the episode of “All In The Family” where the great Cleavon Little and Demond Wilson break into the Bunker home? Son-in-law Mike Stivic tries to explain Archie’s bigotry: “He doesn’t understand what living in the ghetto can do to a man”
To which the great Demond Wilson responds: “And you do.” Thanks for the reminder, Joe. I’m going to enjoy that memory for days.
Josh you know nothing about me or my background, so don’t try to be such a wise guy. It doesn’t make you look good.
Joe, below you accuse me of being “a wise guy”. I think we can all agree I’m the furthest thing. But we should also all be able to take a joke. The TV episode I quoted aired, what, 50 years ago? But I apologize. I don’t come here to offend anyone. That would waste everyone’s time. I’m sorry.
I think it was a very flip remark and I didn’t appreciate it. The fact of the matter is that I went to grammar school in a neighborhood where I was a minority white, so I have seen a lot first hand.
The line from All in the Family was making a dramatic point on a TV show. Many of us who watched the show in its first run understood that those characters were satirical. No one wanted to be them. But I would rather be Mike Stivic than Archie Bunker, Mike, though comically imperfect, was trying to be a better person.
Any time you want to come with me and watch some hoops at Rucker Park you are welcome.
No, I was referring to federal employees mostly hired by Democrats who weren’t doing their jobs, or had jobs which served little or no purpose. Your belief that it referred to Mr. President Trump’s
exceptionally well qualified Cabinet is wrong and misplaced. Such also applies to the balance of your comment.
So caring for the nuclear arsenal and fighting bird flu are “jobs which serve little or no purpose” I gather? Elon Musk, who has zero qualifications for the “job” he holds, or doesn’t hold, depending on the moment, is using his chainsaw to simply trim human beings from the posts, with no rhyme or reason. Except of course, to protect his extensive interests which are directly regulated or subsidized by the federal government. Ane he is demanding emails from all federal employees in conflict with the direct orders of the “exceptionally well qualified Cabinet” Trump has chosen. (This last section in quotes is hysterical on its own!)
Well, it is the Cabinet you got, like it or not. I do, by the way. Very much. I also like my President who can walk and speak (What a concept, uh?).
Diversity pie? Now that’s funny. Pie in the sky more likely. I like my single pie slice round.
In closing, it is unfortunate that those who are now realizing that time is running out, thus will never achieve what they wanted, are quite adept at seeing discrimination everywhere dispensed by those heartless privileged people. In other words, it is never their fault.
Spare me the pontification. And have a prosperous 2025! At least try.
I know! I personally haven’t felt safe since Sam Brinton was fired.
Right you are! I had forgotten about… Sorry, I don’t want to use the wrong pronoun. I thought the prior administration tried to re-hire Brinton as a baggage handler.
Josh, Joe, Erik, and Paul — two guys (unnamed) who I generally agree with and two with whom I don’t — can you meet at the Halfway Cafe or somewhere and have a drink or two and discuss the issues of the day rather than having a set-to on this forum? As has been said by both sides, nothing will be resolved by this dialogue.
You addressed four of us, John, but I can answer only for myself. One of my first posts, if not my very first, responded to a writer who complained that the Mass state houses had adjourned without passing bills she considered of paramount importance. I forget her name and the acts whose death in committee she lamented, but the point of my response was that if the two houses were o v e r w h e l m i n g l y Democratic (not to be confused with democratic), perhaps she should blame lack of diversity in opinion for the lamentable disinterest in her pet projects. We elect a Republican governor from time to time to check the tendency of a single-party State House to run amok, but continue to elect the amok-runners. Was the fault not in our electors, but in ourselves?
You can imagine how that went over. Paul Fahey even managed to wedge Jan 6th into his response, as who can be surprised? But I figured I had better practice what I preach. A town acquaintance admitted to voting in elections ONLY so people know that there is not unanimity of opinion. I do too, with the odd pyrrhic victory once in a while (Scott Brown), usually gone before you know it, like an April Fools snowfall. I do the same here, adding my name, as do several others, most of whom precede me. I completely understand if it’s not for you, but you don’t have to read it. You think we’re at each other’s throats, read the Federalist Papers (and Anti-Federalist Papers). We’re hardly Hamiltons and Madisons either of us, but we carry on their noble tradition, albeit in our much degraded way.
Thanks, Josh. I had a couple of comments for Mr. LoDico as well, but they were moderated into unknown, invisible territory. Oh, c’est la vie.
Good of you for pointing out that reading this forum’s comments is not compulsory.
By the way, I am not having drinkies – or milk and cookies.