Contested Environments: Understanding Legislative Attacks and Its Influence on Diversity Professionals Experiences

• In Event: The Challenges and Perils of Doing DEI Work in Higher Education

Abstract

Despite the well-documented importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), legislators persist in attacking these efforts and those who champion diversity work, such as diversity professionals. This study, conducted using narrative inquiry, details the stories of 31 diversity professionals working in states with anti-DEI bans and how the prevailing political climate in the United States shapes their roles. I offer practical and policy implications to assist in navigating the challenges posed by conservative legislators and to guide administrators in this politically charged moment.

Author

• Kaleb L. Briscoe, University of Oklahoma