ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Black community leaders in Anchorage are responding following President Donald Trump’s executive order to shut down federal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
The Alaska Black Caucus hosted a community conversation Sunday in response to the order. Everyone is invited to join the virtual meeting to discuss the potential impacts of removing DEI programs.
The community conversation, which invited anyone to participate, was a time for Alaskans to consult each other on how they’ll move forward after some political leaders have stated they agree with the choice to stop participating in DEI programs.
The virtual meeting hosted experts in DEI fields who planned to explain to community members how they can continue to work at maintaining equitable and inclusive spaces in spite of government rollbacks on programs.
The president’s order, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” orders the shut down of federal DEI offices, but Celeste Hodge Growden, CEO and President of the Alaska Black Caucus, thinks it won’t stop there.
“The implications of these orders extend far beyond the federal level,“ Hodge Growden said. ”They set a dangerous precedent that could influence state and local policies.”
Some Alaskan politicians have shared their thoughts on DEI programs.
During the confirmation hearing of now-United States Secretary of Defense, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan questioned Pete willingness to prevent further “woke” attitudes in the U.S. military, relating to DEI programs.
When asked for comment on what Sullivan meant, his office responded with a written comment stating in part that the senator “strongly denounces racism, sexism or bigotry, but has strongly objected to injecting critical race and gender theory into the military.” Sullivan’s office said he “has witnessed firsthand how the injection of these ‘woke’ theories in the military have undermined what he believes are the core priorities of our military: lethality and warfighting.”
Sullivan’s office also commented, “Since 1948, when the military was desegregated, it has become one of the greatest civil rights institutions in the country.”
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy also commented on the policy.
“It should be a level playing field for everyone,” Dunleavy said. “You, or I, or anybody else should not be getting a job based upon the color of our skin or religion or political belief. That to me is un-American,” the governor said.
However, it’s that same point Hodge Growden makes, saying DEI programs are beneficial to people of color or any other marginalized group. She said her own experiences as a Black woman have proven the difficulty of getting ahead when part of a socially disadvantaged group.
“As a black woman, it provides us an opportunity to have a seat at the table. And once we’re at the table, we can show what we are fully capable of doing,” Hodge Growden said.
“Rolling back these important initiatives, by doing this, we risk undermining the progress we’ve made toward addressing systemic inequality and creating more inclusive communities,” she said.
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