PRESS RELEASE: UNC Board of Trustees Expect “Return on Investment” from Black and Brown Bodies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 7, 2024
Contact: Vanessa Clinton, vanessa@weare-nc.org
UNC Board of Trustees Expect “Return on Investment” from Black and Brown Bodies
Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Last month, the UNC System Board of Governors voted to repeal and replace the previously established diversity and inclusion regulation that established diversity and inclusion leadership at the 17 public colleges, universities, and schools it oversees across the state. The new policy approved by the Board erases the expectation for all universities to allot spending on DEI initiatives. Additionally, the Board of Governors approved the budget proposed by the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, which included a shift of $2.3 million in funding from DEI to public safety.
David Boliek, the UNC Board of Trustees budget committee chair, stated “I think that DEI is divisive… I don’t think that it’s productive, I don't think that it gives a return on investment to taxpayers and to the institution itself.” Mr. Boliek’s thoughts are in contrast to the significant data that shows otherwise. The Office for Diversity and Inclusion at UNC - Chapel Hill oversees impactful programming such as Project Uplift, Uplift PLUS, the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Carolina Dialogue Across Difference, and Women of Worth. Additionally, the office facilitates professional learning on equity-related topics on campus. Project Uplift alone has been in existence for over 50 years and has served over 35,000 students.
“The appalling expectation of a “return on investment” to taxpayers and the institution from DEI initiatives is an antiquated, bigoted belief rooted in white supremacy and the anti-Black systems that built our nation and institutions. Mr. Boliek’s desire for profits and oppressed allegiance from Black and Brown bodies is deplorable and divisive.” Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock, Executive Director of we are said. “Actual racism is divisive. Racism is harmful and threatening. Racism is our nation's single, and biggest point of failure. DEI initiatives that create positive, affirming, and life-changing experiences for Black and Brown students are not divisive and should not be met with the expectation of profit.”
“The current mischaracterization and vilification of diversity, equity, and inclusion in North Carolina and across the nation is deeply concerning. In a country that has historically touted its commitment to providing opportunities for all people, this course of action is undemocratic and not reflective of our stated values.” Dr. Kelvin Bullock, Deputy Director of Educational Programs at we are stated. “We call for all who believe in promoting the general welfare of humanity to rededicate themselves to initiatives that expand equity and access for people from historically marginalized communities in our institutions of education.”
Background:
Data shows that having a diverse campus can benefit students, not only socially, but also when it comes to their future careers and earnings.
The Carolina Black Caucus was established in 1974 by Black faculty and staff to help engage, empower, and advocate for Carolina’s Black community.
Carolina’s first Black students enrolled in 1951, at the UNC School of Law, and the university’s first Black undergraduates started at the institution in 1955.
Drs. Ronda Taylor and Kelvin Bullock participated in Project Uplift in 1999. “Prior to participating in Project Uplift, I hardly considered applying to UNC,” says Dr. Kelvin Bullock. “At the time, I was a rising high school senior in Wilson, NC, and my school was predominantly students of color. I couldn’t imagine enrolling at a college where I wouldn’t be able to connect with other young people of my racial background. Project Uplift showed me that amazing, diverse students were at UNC and they were there in significant numbers. I knew I would find a supportive community at the university.”
Dr. Taylor Bullock adds, “Project Uplift made me believe that I belonged at UNC, and that I would find a community of people who looked like me. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion played a pivotal role in making my experience at UNC positive, affirming, and life-changing.”
Currently, students from diverse backgrounds make up almost 40% of the UNC student population.
Last year, the NC lawmakers passed laws limiting the discussion of racial topics in classrooms and LGBTQ+ curriculum.
Non-profit organization, we are, was founded in 2015, by Dr. Ronda Taylor Bullock and her husband Dr. Daniel Kelvin Bullock, both North Carolina natives, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduates.