Black UF alums call for school to reinstate diversity programs - with private money

A coalition of Black University of Florida graduates is calling for the school to set aside millions of dollars in private donations to reconstitute diversity programs that the school gutted last month.

A new group calling itself the Coalition of Concerned Black University of Florida Alumni says the state’s flagship university needs to reinvest in racial diversity efforts to reverse its “swift and decisive retreat from core values and principles.”

The group, founded by UF graduate and former Florida Bar president Eugene Pettis, wrote in a letter to UF leaders last week that the school risks damage to its status if it does not do more to “maintain a diverse and inclusive learning environment.”

The coalition, which says it is comprised of more than 100 Black graduates of the school, calls for UF to:

• Dedicate $45 million from the school's $2.6 billion endowment to re-implement "diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives."

• Appoint a Black UF graduate to the school's Board of Trustees.

• Boost efforts to increase its declining Black student enrollment and hire more Black faculty.

The letter comes a month and a half after the University of Florida announced the elimination of all positions at the school dedicated to diversity efforts, including the school’s chief diversity officer.

The move, which saw the elimination of 13 full-time positions, was in response to a law signed last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis that bars universities from using state or federal money for programs that "advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion" or "promote or engage in political or social activism.”

Asked to comment on the letter, a UF spokeswoman said that the university was required to "follow the law and the obligation to our students to make sure that everyone is welcomed."

"The University of Florida is – and will always be – unwavering in our commitment to universal human dignity," university spokeswoman Cynthia Roldan said in an email.

NFL Hall of Fame's Emmitt Smith blasts UF's decision on diversity office

The university’s decision was met with loud criticism from civil rights groups and some prominent Black school alumni.

UF football legend and NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith wrote last month that he was "utterly disgusted by UF's decision and the precedent it sets.”

More: Which Florida colleges have the biggest gender gaps in enrollment?

"Instead of showing courage and leadership, we continue to fail based on systemic issues and with this decision, UF has conformed to the political pressures of today's time,” he wrote on social media.

Days later, the NAACP called on Black student-athletes to boycott Florida universities.

"Florida's rampant anti-Black policies are a direct threat to the advancement of our young people and their ability to compete in a global economy,” Derrick Johnson, the NAACP's president and CEO, said in a letter to prospective college athletes. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are paramount ensuring equitable and effective educational outcomes.”

Percentage of Black students at UF dropped by half since 2010

The elimination of DEI efforts at UF comes amid a long-running drop in Black enrollment at the state’s flagship university. The percentage of undergraduate students at the school who identify as Black has dropped nearly by half, from 9% in 2010 to 5% today, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The closure of UF’s DEI programs is one of the most high-profile examples of a wave of attempts around the country to rein in such programs, which conservative critics say promote discrimination against white and Asian students.

Dozens of bills attempting to restrict them have been filed in states across the country, and they have gone into effect in 12 states, including Florida and Texas, according to the New York Times.

"If you look at the way this has actually been implemented across the country, DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination," DeSantis said as he signed the anti-DEI bill into law last year. "And that has no place in our public institutions."

At the same time, many companies seem to be retreating from their DEI efforts, which spiked after the 2020 murder of George Floyd prompted a wave of anti-racism protests around the country.

The number of DEI-related job postings on online job sites has plummeted this year and last after a spike in 2020 and 2021, The New York Times reported, and some organizations are rebranding their diversity efforts to distance themselves from the polarizing connotations of the term DEI.

In its letter, the coalition called UF's decision to close its diversity office "short-sighted, unimaginative, and embarrassing to many of us in the Gator Nation."

It contrasted UF's actions with that of other state universities, which it said used "innovative approaches to safeguarding the progress their institutions have made to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities of learning."

"This is a moment that requires leadership, and UF must lead," the letter stated. "History has its eyes onUF."

Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Black UF grads want university to reinstate diversity programs