Building a DEI Underground Railroad in Higher Education and Beyond

    As a White woman in academia, I have watched highly qualified People of Color earn DEI director positions, and at first, I felt hopeful. “Finally, the right people were being invited to the table!” But I soon saw the reality of my ignorance. One by one, my friends and colleagues in these roles were systematically the first to be pushed out, their terminations disguised as “budget constraints.” What a setup for them. Now the excuse is a presidential executive order. We face a government that actively works against the very concept of equality this country once fought a war to achieve. White people in power created this mess, so why aren’t those of us who see the truth stepping up to fix it? Why aren’t we confronting and dismantling the racist and colonialist systems that still govern our institutions? Meanwhile, do you know who has educated themselves, mobilized, and taken action? White supremacists. If they can be that committed and organized to oppression, why aren’t we just as relentless in fighting for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion?

We need to come together during this Tsunami of white supremacy and overcome this threat to democracy. Abolitionists and free Black communities started the Underground Railroad. We need to learn from history and become the next abolitionists. We need a DEI Underground Railroad. 

Building a DEI Underground Railroad in Higher Education and Beyond

Higher education is a battleground for social change. But in recent years, the fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has faced increasing resistance, political bullying, budget cuts, legislative bans, and outright institutional hostility. Universities that once championed DEI initiatives are now quietly retreating, leaving students, faculty, and staff without critical support. Disbanding these initiatives is not new, since 2022 more than 30 bills have targeted DEI in schools with 13 signed into law. (See the strictest anti-DEI law in Iowa here.) Universities must build a safer route for DEI initiatives in institutions to protect our most vulnerable and marginalized populations. An “Underground Railroad” of resources and support may be a part of the answer.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that communities build their own passageways when systems shut doors. Much like the original Underground Railroad, which provided a covert network of safe houses and resources for enslaved individuals seeking freedom, a DEI Underground Railroad could serve as a hidden yet powerful force, protecting and sustaining equity work in the face of growing opposition and threats.

What Would a DEI Underground Railroad Look Like?

The DEI Underground Railroad isn’t about secrecy for secrecy’s sake, it’s about resilience. It’s about finding creative, strategic, and sometimes covert ways to keep DEI efforts alive even when institutions bow down to political pressures. A colleague, Professor Valerie Walker, coined the acronym “CRUD” this past month as Culturally Responsive Universal Design couching DEI terms in an acronym. Educators will need to decide their own risk mitigation in using DEI terms and concepts. I use the term DEI throughout this post, but obviously the term and subsequent behaviors will need to be identified in different language to protect individuals and institutions.

1. Creating Networks, Not Just Committees

Traditional DEI offices are easy targets for budget cuts in these lean times. But informal networks of committed faculty, staff, and students? Much harder to erase. A DEI Underground Railroad thrives on relationships and networking, off-the-record meetings, encrypted communication channels, and partnerships that extend beyond institutional walls. I belong to a Signal group chat of social work tech educators which serves as support and provides education on the current state of affairs. This group is my short cut to news and information plus an added benefit of emotional support. Networks can provide much needed information and support until our anti-DEI course is corrected.

These networks could:

• Share resources outside formal structures (e.g., syllabi, training materials, policy guides).

• Provide anonymous mentorship for faculty and staff facing retaliation.

• Connect with external organizations, state legislators/governors, foundations, and private citizens, to fund and support DEI initiatives without institutional oversight.

• Educate themselves on DEI. Start by creating reading groups using Lily Zheng’s DEI deconstructed as a reference. (If you only do one thing, please read this.)

2. Embedding DEI Where They Least Expect It

DEI doesn’t have to live in an office labeled “Diversity & Inclusion.” It can (and should) be embedded everywhere.

• Require DEI concepts in Universal Design throughout curriculum development.  

• Position inclusive teaching as a student success strategy.

• Integrate DEI initiative and practice standards in promotion and tenure requirements.

• Support CSWE’s equity-related standards and assessments.

• Create field trips in courses for students to enhance their understanding of DEI in their communities.

• Focus on teaching critical thinking, the Paradox of Empathy, and transformational learning.

• Read Building resilience to hate in classrooms: Innovation in practice and pedagogy to prevent extremism and violence in U.S. schools for more ideas.

By integrating DEI into broader, “less controversial” conversations, advocates can continue the work under the radar.

3. Protecting Faculty and Students

When institutions back down from DEI commitments, the burden often falls on individuals—especially faculty of color, LGBTQ+ educators, and students pushing for change. A DEI Underground Railroad must include protection strategies:

• Know your rights. Train faculty on First Amendment protections and academic freedom laws.

• Build a legal defense fund. Support individuals facing retaliation.

• Create alternative learning spaces. If official DEI workshops get canceled, move them off-campus or online. (Coursera, LinkedIn)

• Provide resources for faculty to protect themselves against doxing. (DeleteMe, Aura, Google guide)

• Place all DEI information behind university firewalls.

4. Alternative Learning & Resistance Publishing

DEI education doesn’t have to come from institutional channels. It can live in:

• Underground publications such as newsletters, blogs, and zines sharing critical perspectives. (Substack, political podcasts, Blogs and Websites, Social Media) 

• Independent workshops offering free DEI training hosted off-campus or online.

• Student-led initiatives of peer-to-peer education outside administrative control.

• Non - University led resource curation of research (New York State Library DEI toolkit)

• Google Drive Crowd Sourcing of Resources

• Organizations Transforming Polarization and Division

When knowledge is decentralized, it’s harder to silence.

5. Whistleblower Networks & Advocacy

When institutions quietly erase DEI, they count on silence. A DEI Underground Railroad would establish confidential reporting systems and organize collective action:

• Anonymous reporting networks to document discrimination and retaliation.

• Alumni advocacy groups to pressure institutions from the outside.

• Coalitions with civil rights organizations for legal and political support. (ACLU, HRC,  Minority Rights Group)

Why This Matters

The attacks on DEI in higher education are not just about budgets or politics, they are about power. They are about whose voices get heard, whose experiences get validated, and whose rights get protected. If universities won’t uphold their commitments to equity, then we must create our own systems of support.

The DEI Underground Railroad isn’t about resisting institutions, it’s about rising above their limits. It’s a commitment to justice that refuses to be derailed by shifting policies or slashed budgets. DEI was never meant to be a temporary fix. It was a call to confront the deep, often invisible roots of bias, both unconscious and intentional, that shape our society. True transformation demands more than lip service, it requires awareness, empathy, and action. If we want real change, we must move beyond simply including others in White workplace culture. We must reimagine it into a genuinely multicultural force that reflects the strength and diversity of our communities.

Resistance has always fueled the fight for justice, it’s nothing new. But today, higher education and society stand at a crossroads. It’s time to move beyond performative gestures and fully COMMIT to true inclusion. DEI isn’t enough; we must evolve into JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) because, without justice, the rest is just rhetoric. This is not the moment to retreat. This is the moment to rise. Do not let the Dark Side of politics silence progress. Do not let your fear dictate the future.  Now is the time to show up and ACT, together.