Defending the Right to Learn: How Young Voices Are Resisting the Rollback of Equity
- Isabella Zumba
- Aug 12
- 2 min read
By Isabella Zumba
8/12/25
Young Voices Defend the Future of Equitable Education
In recent months, some of the country’s most prestigious private universities—long viewed as symbols of academic opportunity—have come under intense pressure from the Trump administration. Billions in federal grants and contracts have been frozen or cut, with an aim of forcing institutions to scale back or completely eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. For instance, Harvard alone had $2 billion in federal funding frozen, while also facing threats to its nonprofit status and its ability to enroll international students.
These measures pose serious and long-term consequences for underrepresented students. For students of color applying to these universities, these policy shifts represent existential barriers. Without robust DEI funding and support systems, the already limited pathways to admission and success at elite institutions grow even narrower. What once offered marginalized students a chance at access—scholarships, inclusive programming, mentorship—now risks being dismantled or hidden under rebranded terms to avoid political backlash.
This is not just a short-term issue. According to Sarah Spreitzer, the vice-president at the American Council for Education, universities nationwide are now facing deep financial uncertainty. Federal scholarships have been paused, research funding has been reduced, and a cap on allowable administrative costs for NIH-funded projects is forcing schools to absorb the growing financial burden themselves. The ripple effects could last for generations.
Yet amid these doors beginning to close, students are rising. At the University of Michigan, students have mobilized to demand the return of DEI initiatives back on campus. Similarly, in February of 2025, hundreds of Colorado State University students walked out of their classes to rally outside the administration building in protest. "The university has already started falling in line — they're voluntarily enforcing these authoritarian, anti-intellectual attacks on knowledge and inclusion," declared Ella Smith, a CSU student affiliated with the Coalition for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.
In the face of growing obstacles, young students are refusing to be silenced. They are organizing, reclaiming, and amplifying their voices to demand justice for education that reflects and respects every student–no matter their background. These movements represent the ability to resist today’s policies in order to build long-term change. Students are laying the foundation for a future where inclusion isn’t optional, but essential.
To protect the progress made and ensure that future generations have even greater access to equitable education, these efforts must continue–with persistence, aunty, and the unwavering belief that every voice can make an impact. Learn more:
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