A new report suggests that since 2021, the Department of Education has granted more than $200 million to nearly 50 universities to add Diversity, Equity & Inclusion content into counseling programs.
Key Facts:
- The watchdog group Parents Defending Education says 48 universities received these grants.
- DEI concepts such as microaggressions, white privilege, and race-centered studies appear in certain counseling syllabi.
- The group claims many reading lists include texts by Angela Davis and Peggy McIntosh.
- Some universities have rebranded or updated course titles to emphasize diversity and advocacy.
- The Trump administration is seeking to remove DEI programs from federal education spending.
The Rest of The Story:
Parents Defending Education points to course materials from places like the University of Florida, University of Northern Colorado, and Vanderbilt University, which discuss critical race theory, queer theory, and systemic oppression.
Johns Hopkins University and Marquette University are also cited for programs aiming to bring more counselors from diverse backgrounds into the field, sometimes highlighting specific groups such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Critics question whether such programs truly promote equal treatment or instead impose a particular viewpoint on future counselors.
The group claims that prospective counselors are being taught to see clients through a narrow lens focused on race and identity.
Meanwhile, supporters of DEI argue that incorporating these themes builds more inclusive and empathetic counselors who better serve diverse populations.
NEW FROM PDE: The Department of Education has awarded over $200 million to forty-eight universities injecting DEI content into counseling courses that include topics on antiracism, microaggressions, white privilege, and whiteness. https://t.co/XnDgQeoM1d
— Parents Defending Education (@DefendingEd) February 3, 2025
Commentary:
The Biden administration appears to have been dead set on pushing programs that foster division rather than unity.
We are fortunate that Americans voted in a leader determined to end these practices and bring us back together.
DEI does not unify our society; it splits us by skin color and ethnicity, building barriers where cooperation should exist.
This overhaul of federal grants in counseling is a welcome change.
Ending these programs upholds the core values of equal opportunity under the law, and it curbs racial and identity-driven agendas.
The Bottom Line:
This report raises questions about whether government funds should underwrite DEI-related coursework in counseling.
Supporters of these programs maintain that cultural sensitivity is a core part of helping clients.
Critics view it as an overreach and want federal aid tied to more traditional approaches.
Future policy decisions may affect the counseling profession and the students aspiring to practice in it.
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