Rallies protesting legislation advocating against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) will occur at each Kentucky public university Friday.
Kentucky Students for DEI, a coalition comprised of student organizers at each involved school, planned the rallies to “combat anti-DEI efforts on the campus, state, and national level,” according to a press release.
Actions such as House Bill 4, Senate Bill 164 and one of President Donald Trump’s day-one executive orders support the dissolution of DEI initiatives at local and national levels.
“I never really thought that I would see the day where our colleges are being affected by laws that are coming straight from Washington D.C.,” Arianna Pierson, a Kentucky Students for DEI student organizer and WKU rally planner, said. “It’s hitting very close to home.”
Pierson is also one of the co-founders and current leader of For the People, a WKU student advocacy group formed last year in response to a Turning Point USA campus chapter event. For the People, among other WKU student groups, partnered with Kentucky Students for DEI to spread information about Friday’s rally on campus.
For the People, WKU NAACP, WKU Democrats and the Feminist Student Union will each hold events Thursday evening to prep for the following day’s rally. These will include guest speakers, writing letters to legislators, DEI discussions and more.
Friday’s rally will be held at noon outside Downing Student Union featuring speakers and discussion regarding how anti-DEI legislation would affect the campus community.
“I want people to know that anyone can be part of social change and anyone can be part of social action,” Pierson said. “No one is going to know how we feel about House Bill 4 unless we say how we feel about House Bill 4.”
