Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin is advising Black student-athletes to keep away from attending schools and universities in Alabama if a controversial anti-DEI invoice turns into regulation.
The Alabama Senate is contemplating SB 129, which is able to prohibit public faculties and universities from having variety, fairness and inclusion applications or places of work. The Senate Committee superior the invoice on Wednesday.
“To the dad and mom of minority athletes who’re serving to their youngsters resolve in the event that they need to play sports activities at these establishments: Would you be cool along with your little one enjoying at faculties the place variety amongst workers is actively being discouraged?”
birmingham mayor randall woodfin
The proposed invoice “would prohibit sure public entities, together with state companies, native boards of training and public establishments of upper studying, from sustaining a variety, fairness, and inclusion workplace or division or sponsoring any variety, fairness, and inclusion program.”
Mayor Woodfin responded through social media that he “could have no drawback organizing Black dad and mom and athletes to attend establishments outdoors of Alabama the place variety and inclusion are prioritized” if the invoice passes.
Woodfin additionally known as out dad and mom, asking if they might be snug sending their youngsters to colleges actively discouraging variety amongst college and workers. He criticized the state for making an attempt to make it “unlawful for establishments of upper studying to advertise variety and inclusion.”
The proposed regulation would additionally prohibit instructing that slavery and racism align with America’s founding ideas. As well as, it bans suggesting members of any race, faith, intercourse or ethnicity ought to really feel guilt or bias as a result of their identification.
The invoice’s sponsor claims it might not prohibit instructing historical past. Nonetheless, Woodfin and different opponents argue it might severely restrict variety and inclusion efforts. Woodfin is preemptively urging Black college students to look elsewhere if the regulation passes.
