Rolling Back “Anti-Racism,” Defending “Diversity:” How One Suburban District Navigated the DEI Backlash

• In Event: Culture Wars in the Classroom: From Book Bans to DEI Rollbacks

Abstract

In this paper, I offer a case study of a predominantly white, affluent, and liberal suburban school district (pseudonym: Kirkwood). Drawing on ethnographic data, I analyze how the Kirkwood Public Schools navigated the vicissitudes of the 2020 protests for racial equity and the ensuing backlash from white parents. I find that the Kirkwood Public Schools resisted abandoning its commitment to equity but shifted the way it talked about its equity efforts, moving from an explicit embrace of anti-racism to a more muted endorsement of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. While some equity efforts were vulnerable to backlash, I also find evidence of the durability of other initiatives, when bolstered by the support of the community, school board, and key stakeholders.

Author

• Nadirah Farah Foley, Washington University in St. Louis