Texas’ DEI debate centers on a disagreement about whether programs perpetuate or prevent discrimination

Illustrated posters reading “We Belong Here” on the Texas Capitol’s rotunda floor during Texas Students for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s protest of HB1 Rider No. 186, which would defund DEI initiatives at public universities, on March 23, 2023. (Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune)

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Over the past year, University of Texas at Austin senior Kam McQueen has had a first-hand look at what happens when the state bans diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at public colleges.