Op-ed: Oklahoma must stop forcing students into DEI Classes

Oklahoma Must Stop Forcing Students into DEI Classes 

By Timothy K. Minella 

 

President Donald Trump has demolished federal subsidies for radical “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) programming. But until state lawmakers in Oklahoma act as well, students will still be forced to take courses intended to indoctrinate them in the poisonous ideology behind DEI.  

Oklahoma’s public universities are not immune from the destructive effects of DEI. In December 2023, Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order prohibiting discriminatory DEI programs at public universities in Oklahoma. President Trump’s recent executive orders targeted these discriminatory practices at the federal level. But despite these welcome actions, DEI still maintains a strong and toxic presence in Oklahoma’s universities through course requirements that force students into politicized DEI courses simply to obtain a degree. 

OCPA president calls on Kayse Shrum to honor OSU’s ‘historic values’

OCPA president calls on Kayse Shrum to honor OSU’s ‘historic values’

OKLAHOMA CITY (December 18, 2023)—Recent events have demonstrated to Americans the extent of the rot in higher education, especially in elite institutions. But the problems are here at home, too—including at Oklahoma State University—and it’s time for policymakers to act, OCPA president Jonathan Small said today.

“I applaud Gov. Kevin Stitt for his executive order seeking to reduce the influence of poisonous ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) ideologies in Oklahoma colleges,” Small said. “Unfortunately, OSU president Kayse Shrum’s dismissive response to the executive order—‘an initial review indicates that no significant changes to our processes or practices are needed’—shows that she’s hopelessly out of step with the Oklahomans paying the freight.” 

Sen. Standridge files legislation to stop harmful DEI practices in Oklahoma universities and colleges

In related news, Gov. Stitt made moves yesterday to likewise attack DEI programs.

Sen. Standridge files legislation to stop harmful DEI practices in Oklahoma universities and colleges

OKLAHOMA CITY – In the wake of Senator Standridge’s Interim Study on October 18, looking at DEI practices in our universities and colleges, Standridge has filed four pieces of legislation to adopt laws that will stop this discriminatory process. At the study, Standridge (R-Norman) hosted guests from the Heritage Foundation, Goldwater Institute, and OCPA, along with other experts that showed how DEI is destroying our institutions of higher learning and harming many college students and faculty along the way.

According to Sen. Standridge, DEI should be called by its more appropriate name, Discriminate, Exclude and Indoctrinate.

"Defund Discrimination": Gov. Stitt takes hatchet to taxpayer-funded DEI programs

Good for Gov. Stitt:

GOVERNOR STITT SIGNS ANTI-DISCRIMINATION EXECUTIVE ORDER, TAKES AIM AT DEI MEASURES

OKLAHOMA CITY (December 13, 2023) - Today, Governor Kevin Stitt signed Executive Order 2023-31, implementing greater protections for Oklahomans and their tax dollars against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

“In Oklahoma, we’re going to encourage equal opportunity, rather than promising equal outcomes,” said Governor Stitt. “Encouraging our workforce, economy, and education systems to flourish means shifting focus away from exclusivity and discrimination, and toward opportunity and merit. We’re taking politics out of education and focusing on preparing students for the workforce.”

Small: Antisemitism linked to college 'Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion' programs

Antisemitism linked to college DEI

By Jonathan Small

There’s a high price to pay for colleges’ “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) programs. If you doubt it, look at how many college students are openly embracing antisemitism in response to the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

While many Americans have been shocked, that prejudice is sadly the product of many campus cultures, particularly DEI programs.

Tabia Lee, a black woman who previously served two years as a faculty DEI director at De Anza College in California, noted that reality in a recent New York Post column.

Lee warned, “At its worst, DEI is built on the unshakable belief that the world is divided into two groups of people: the oppressors and the oppressed. Jews are categorically placed in the oppressor category, while Israel is branded a ‘genocidal, settler, colonialist state.’ In this worldview, criticizing Israel and the Jewish people is not only acceptable but praiseworthy.”

She also warned, “Countless faculty and students on campuses nationwide have told me the DEI ideology encourages antisemitism.”

Lee believes she was pushed out of her DEI position because she tried to encourage respectful dialogue between students, including Jewish students.

DEI’s core beliefs assume a person’s race (or other “marginalized” identity) trumps everything else about that individual. That makes DEI highly divisive and societally corrosive.

Oklahomans may be tempted to think the antisemitism seen on campuses like Harvard isn’t occurring here. But at the University of Oklahoma, a recent student demonstration echoed many talking points touted elsewhere.

On Oct. 25, OU students marched to protest Israel’s response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks, chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

A letter released by the OU Student Coalition for Palestinian Liberation declared that Israel is “an apartheid state” engaged in “a genocide campaign” and “crimes against humanity,” and that Israel’s actions are “not self-defense.”

The statement did not acknowledge or directly reference Hamas actions, which have included kidnapping, rape and the brutal murder of women and infant children. Instead, the statement dismissed reports of Hamas terrorist atrocities as “unconfirmed accounts and AI-generated images published by Israeli media.”

That shows those college students, here in Oklahoma, are out of touch with reality. As U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, recently noted, “Hamas is a terrorist organization that murdered children, the elderly, and the disabled without mercy.”

Notably, OU has been very public in its embrace of DEI.

Opponents of DEI often focus on its negative impact on academic outcomes and the ripple effect on the economy. That likely understated its full, negative impact. Recent events show DEI is now leaving us with a generation of college students who embrace evil and declare it good. That’s a recipe only for moral decay and greater violence in the future.

Jonathan Small serves as president of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.

Small: Oklahoma colleges’ DEI mandates violate free speech

Oklahoma colleges’ DEI mandates violate free speech

By Jonathan Small

The Arizona Board of Regents recently announced that public universities in that state will no longer require “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) statements from job applicants.

Oklahoma colleges and universities should do the same.

Bill protecting state pensions from ESG policies passes State House

Bill Protecting State Pensions from ESG Policies Passes House

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 20th) – Rep. Terry O'Donnell, R-Catoosa, today passed a bill in the House designed to continue protections of state pension funds from strategies that would be harmful to the state's energy industry.

House Bill 2547 would prevent any state-run pension fund from delegating its votes by proxy to entities that do not subscribe to Oklahoma's investment strategy as outlined in the measure. The bill is a follow-up to legislation co-authored by O'Donnell last year that restricts the investment of Oklahoma pension funds by firms that adopt strategies akin to Environmental Social Governance (ESG).

Small: OU, OSU have more ‘diversity’ staff than history faculty

OCPA President Jonathan Small

OU, OSU have more ‘diversity’ staff than history faculty

By Jonathan Small 

New departments, centers, and programs are popping up left and right on college campuses across the country. Their stated focus? To promote “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) on campus. 

Unfortunately, those benign-sounding words don’t necessarily mean what you think they mean. 

Instead, DEI is all about identity politics, equality of outcomes (with reparations, if necessary), and attacks on freedom of speech and other principles foundational to the American way of life.

At the University of Oklahoma there is a specific office devoted to DEI efforts. Oklahoma State University likewise has a division dedicated to “institutional diversity.” And more and more DEI-focused programs means more and more diversity bureaucrats needed to run them. 

A new study from The Heritage Foundation examined how many DEI staff were employed at 65 major universities across the United States. They found most universities’ DEI staff outnumbered the schools’ history faculties. And Oklahoma was no exception. 

The Heritage Foundation scholars found that OU and OSU combined employ 61 DEI staff members. (In reality, the study says, this is a very conservative count and is in fact “an undercount of the true extent of DEI activities at universities.”)

Meanwhile, the combined history faculty count at OU and OSU is 50.

The folks in executive positions leading DEI programs at these schools both take home hefty six-figure paychecks for their efforts. The OU bureaucrat who oversees the school’s “diversity” efforts receives $230,000 while OSU chief diversity official is paid $200,299.

OCPA Fellow: To achieve criminal justice reform, everyone needs to chill

To achieve criminal justice reform, everyone needs to chill

by Ryan Haynie, Criminal Justice Reform Fellow at Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Ideas like proportionality and nuance are rapidly declining among the most vocal and those wielding the most power in our culture. In late May, a large group marched in the streets of Oklahoma City in protest of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The protest eventually devolved into rioting and destruction of property.

The extent to which the destructive behavior can be associated with the original protest has been hotly debated and won’t be addressed here. The damage included everything from graffiti to a destroyed police vehicle. In short, things got out of hand. Some innocent people, including the taxpayers of Oklahoma City, suffered harm.

In response, David Prater, District Attorney for Oklahoma County, charged three individuals with multiple felonies including terrorism. Oklahoma’s terrorism statute was enacted in 2002 as a response to the 9-11 attacks. To charge these individuals with a crime intended for Al Qaeda and Timothy McVeigh defies reason.

Jesus hates Social Justice

"Jesus hates Social Justice."

To some, that's a provocative statement. Oklahoma combat veteran and political/cultural commentator Jarrin Jackson makes the argument that it's a 100% Biblical certainty in a recent video.

Watch here:

He's absolutely right.

The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel was drafted in 2018 by prominent evangelical pastors and leaders, including John MacArthur, Voddie Baucham, Phil Johnson, Tom Ascol, Darrell Harrison, Tom Buck, James White, Paul Washer, and others. The signers made the following introduction to the document, also called the Dallas Statement:

In view of questionable sociological, psychological, and political theories presently permeating our culture and making inroads into Christ's church, we wish to clarify certain key Christian doctrines and ethical principles prescribed in God’s Word. Clarity on these issues will fortify believers and churches to withstand an onslaught of dangerous and false teachings that threaten the gospel, misrepresent Scripture, and lead people away from the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Specifically, we are deeply concerned that values borrowed from secular culture are currently undermining Scripture in the areas of race and ethnicity, manhood and womanhood, and human sexuality. The Bible’s teaching on each of these subjects is being challenged under the broad and somewhat nebulous rubric of concern for “social justice.” If the doctrines of God’s Word are not uncompromisingly reasserted and defended at these points, there is every reason to anticipate that these dangerous ideas and corrupted moral values will spread their influence into other realms of biblical doctrines and principles.

We submit these affirmations and denials for public consideration, not with any pretense of ecclesiastical authority, but with an urgency that is mixed with deep joy and sincere sorrow. The rapidity with which these deadly ideas have spread from the culture at large into churches and Christian organizations—including some that are evangelical and Reformed—necessitates the issuing of this statement now.

In the process of considering these matters we have been reminded of the essentials of the faith once for all handed down to the saints, and we are re-committed to contend for it. We have a great Lord and Savior, and it is a privilege to defend his gospel, regardless of cost or consequences. Nevertheless, while we rejoice in that privilege, we grieve that in doing so we know we are taking a stand against the positions of some teachers whom we have long regarded as faithful and trustworthy spiritual guides. It is our earnest prayer that our brothers and sisters will stand firm on the gospel and avoid being blown to and fro by every cultural trend that seeks to move the Church of Christ off course. We must remain steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

The Apostle Paul’s warning to the Colossians is greatly needed today: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). The document that follows is an attempt to heed that apostolic command. We invite others who share our concerns and convictions to unite with us in reasserting our unwavering commitment to the teachings of God’s Word articulated in this statement. Therefore, for the glory of God among his Church and throughout society, we offer the following affirmations and denials.

The Statement has fourteen articles of affirmations and denials, which you can read here (also in PDF here).