Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs are held in question across the country. Back in February, the U.S Department of Education issued a “Dear Colleague” letter to federally funded academic institutions, including Saint Anselm.

The letter gave schools 14 days to “revise” DEI initiatives as they would be considered a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a provision which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs that receive federal funding.

Saint Anselm College did not release an official, public-facing statement regarding the move to dismantle DEI, but questions remain about the future of clubs, activities, and scholarships aimed to create systems of support for first generation students and students of color at a predominantly white institution.

As of April 24, a handful of federal judges, including U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty of New Hampshire, ruled against the Trump Administration’s efforts to defund institutions who continue to implement DEI.

According to McCafferty, the letter failed to “delineate between a lawful DEI practice and an unlawful one” and that thus the policy was “textbook viewpoint discrimination.”

This comes after the Dept. of Ed. froze over $2 billion to Harvard University after a clash over policy changes, one of which was the refusal to eliminate DEI programming.

With the ever-changing landscape of higher education in the Trump Administration, uncertainty still runs deep.

Here, at Saint Anselm, students who have found a home at the Father Jonathan, O.S.B. Center for Intercultural Learning and Inclusion, there is more than just reason for concern; there is an ever-present, striking knowledge that the simple existence of multicultural communities and education are politicized.

Israel Small ‘26, a student worker at the Intercultural Center and former Human Resources Representative and Secretary for the Men of Color club, described the feeling: “You know how it feels when you know something bad is coming and it finally does?” expressed Small. “The bittersweet realization that my existence is so political that teaching about my heritage as a minority in the wrong way could lead to the college being defunded has not gotten any more palatable.”

The Men of Color club, now led by Duke Addy ‘27, is just one of the student-led affinity groups the Intercultural Center supports. Recently, the Women of Color club was created, led by Paige Potts ‘27, and both clubs are funded by the Student Government Association (SGA). 

In reflecting on the process of creating the club, Potts said, “The faculty has been very supportive with the creation of the club and has overall done a great job of answering any questions, and guiding me through steps to make the creation possible.”

Addy echoed a similar sentiment, “For the most part, people have been supportive. They have not just a great advisor in [Prof. Victoria Dibona], but they’ve also helped us navigate the administration quite a lot in what we want to do.”

Despite general administrative support, the clubs have heard rumblings about the potential impact of DEI restrictions.

“There have been conversations happening,” Addy stated. “At the end of the day, there isn’t a very clear plan going forward as to how things are going to look like for our clubs exactly, or for the Intercultural Center as a whole.”

Rumblings about the potential of clubs like Men of Color and Women of Color having to change their names to comply with federal demands have made their rounds and students have taken notice.

“I absolutely foresee a future where changing the names of groups, departments, and organisations is the norm,” Small shared. “To do so is compliance with an unjust law and MLK gave us poignant wisdom as to handle those, however, there is value in continuing the same work under different names, but the core must remain or we will forget why we do what we do. America has endured Trump policies before, but this is something we can’t scoff at.”

If trends in restricting DEI were to continue, student leaders are preparing for what could be in store.

“I know that there would certainly be some level of pushback,” Addy said. “There’s a lot of students here that feel very strongly about having the space that they give their own and having staff members that can support them, and something as simple as a name change can take away a lot from the importance and meaning of a space.”

In its beginning years, the Women of Color club is determined to continue to provide a space for students of color, especially young women, whose voices are often underrepresented.

“DEI programs help us feel seen, supported, and empowered in spaces where we’ve historically been excluded,” Potts explained. “Removing them threatens progress, silences our voices, and ignores the barriers we still face. Equity isn’t optional, it’s essential for true educational opportunity.”

When they think about the future, student leaders are worried, but they are steadfast in their faith in one another.

“As a woman of color and student leader at St. A’s, I believe in the community’s potential to confront censorship and discrimination,” said Potts. “Change isn’t easy, but I’ve seen students and allies rise with courage. I have faith that together, we can create a more inclusive, accountable, and empowering campus environment.”

Addy has one message he wants to share with the Saint Anselm community in the midst of the uncertainty – listen, communicate, and empathize.

“ I understand that due to the demographic of the campus, it’s very easy to brush off a lot of these issues that we’re talking about and ignore them,” he stated. “Don’t immediately turn away from seeing these issues pop up wherever you may see them, but be willing to say, ‘Okay, I might not be able to directly connect to this or relate to this, but there are people that are impacted by this, and students impacted by this that are part of my community.’”

Both Men of Color and Women of Color are hosting events, discussions, and fundraisers throughout the year, with a semesterly dialogue taking place on Monday, April 28 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the President’s Dining Room. The dialogue is a discussion between students and staff regarding issues currently impacting the student body.