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The Michigan Senate this week passed a resolution to encourage schools and other institutions to adopt and uphold the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The move comes as some education leaders in the state have pushed back on President Donald Trump’s attempt to withhold federal funding from public K-12 schools that teach “discriminatory equity ideology” or “gender ideology.” The resolution was approved a week after the State Board of Education took its own action to support diversity in schools.
The resolution, introduced by state Sen. Stephanie Chang, a Democrat from Detroit, recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion,or DEI, as “essential foundational principles for achieving the American Dream.” It calls on educational institutions — as well as other entities across the state and the nation — to continue such efforts.
“As attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion continue at the federal level, we must remind ourselves that we’re not talking about an acronym — say each word and consider its impact for real people,” said Chang during the Tuesday afternoon Senate session. “We must consider our values and our responsibility to every Michigander, no matter who they are.”
Chang listed examples of DEI, including inclusive education for students with disabilities, Black history month programs on college campuses, and LGBTQ+ student centers.
The Senate voted along party lines, 19 to 18, to pass the resolution.
State Sen. Aric Nesbitt, a Republican from Lawton, said during the session he would vote against the resolution because the body should be focused on “real priorities.”
“We all want hardworking Michiganders to succeed, but not through a system that sacrifices merit for discriminatory quotas,” he said.
Resolutions are not laws and can be used in the Michigan legislature to call attention to issues.
Since Trump issued an executive order seeking to ban from schools anything “that treats individuals as members of preferred or disfavored groups” rather than as individuals, experts have questioned its legality and how it would be enforced in local schools.
Craig Trainor, the U.S. Department of Education’s acting assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in a Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter that schools taking steps to enroll more students of color and hire more diverse staff would be investigated.
The Education Department announced last week it is investigating 45 schools, including Michigan universities, for offering programs and scholarships with eligibility based on students’ race.
Federal officials alleged the schools are violating the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or national origin.
Michigan leaders have pushed back against the Trump administration’s attacks on DEI and attempts to ban lessons on race and racism.
Last week, the Democratically controlled State Board of Education passed a resolution “defending public education, civil rights, and democracy against executive orders and directives that threaten children and communities.”
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Board President Pamela Pugh, condemned Trump’s executive orders related to schools as “attacks on educational access.” It also asked the legislature to enact state-level protections for DEI, special education funding, and local control of curriculum.
The board’s resolution, which passed 5-2, asked local districts to maintain DEI within existing legal frameworks and to continue to provide safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments.
Michigan’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice said last month Trump’s executive order would not impact efforts to incorporate curriculum that reflects diverse perspectives.
Rice also sent a memo to local school leaders clarifying the Michigan Department of Education’s stance on the federal “Dear Colleague” letter.
Citing the Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in the memo, Rice said educators must provide an education to every student, regardless of race, religion, or national origin.
The state superintendent also listed examples of DEI in Michigan’s public schools, such as diversity in literature, comprehensive history, grow-your-own student teacher programs, student advisory councils, and language access.
Rice said those efforts don’t discriminate on the basis of race but expand opportunities for students.
Rice also noted multiple federal laws prohibit the Department of Education from exercising control over local schools.
Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.
