Words That Win or Wither: Framing Racial Equity Amid Ideological Resistance in Higher Education

• In Event: Unforgetting in an Era of Erasure: Resisting Anti-Justice Attacks and Envisioning Futures for Higher Education

Abstract

In the wake of intensified political and ideological attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, campus leaders face mounting pressure to reconsider how they communicate equity commitments. Legislative bans, executive orders, and coordinated misinformation campaigns—often grounded in anti–critical race theory rhetoric—have reframed DEI as divisive and un-American, fueling efforts to dismantle racial justice infrastructure across U.S. colleges and universities. In response, many institutions have shifted toward alternative framings such as “belonging” or “equal opportunity,” presumed to be less polarizing. Yet little empirical research has examined whether such rhetorical shifts influence stakeholder support for equity initiatives or how this relationship is shaped by underlying ideological beliefs.
Guided by framing theory (Chong & Druckman, 2007) and targeted universalism (powell et al., 2009), this experimental study surveyed a national sample of 778 faculty, staff, and students randomly assigned to read one of three vignettes describing a racial equity initiative framed as DEI, Belonging, or Equal Opportunity. Participants then rated their support and completed validated measures of race-evasive ideology (Neville et al., 2000) and social dominance orientation (SDO; Pratto et al., 1994). Results showed that DEI framing elicited significantly lower support than Belonging or Equal Opportunity framings. Higher race-evasive and SDO scores predicted lower support across conditions, with ideological resistance most pronounced under DEI framing and attenuated under alternative frames.
By situating these findings within the current wave of anti-DEI politics, this study illuminates how ideological beliefs interact with language to shape the reception of equity work. While reframing toward universal values may broaden engagement, such strategies alone cannot overcome deeply held beliefs that deny the legitimacy of race-conscious interventions. These beliefs—rooted in race-evasive ideologies and social dominance orientation—reflect broader worldviews that normalize racial hierarchy and reject structural explanations for inequality (Bonilla-Silva, 2022; Ray, 2019). Without directly engaging and unsettling these worldviews, higher education risks adopting language that is politically palatable yet substantively hollow.
In line with the conference theme, this work underscores the need for communicative and structural strategies that resist erasure, safeguard academic freedom, and cultivate the ideological will for equity. By confronting the narratives, power structures, and historical amnesia that underwrite opposition, institutions can better imagine and enact futures grounded in justice rather than retrenchment.

Authors

• Royel M. Johnson, University of Southern California

• Terrill O. Taylor, University of Maryland