Gutting DEI programming will hurt Indiana for years to come

When Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order earlier this year banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices and programs in state agencies, we in the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) saw the writing on the wall. As a longtime lawmaker and chair of the IBLC, I know that nothing done in this building exists in a vacuum. This order from Gov. Braun signaled not only his willingness to comply with hyper-partisan D.C. culture wars, but his willingness to put politics over the lives and wellbeing of the Hoosiers he was elected to serve.

Now, just six months after his executive order, over 350 programs and positions throughout state agencies have been eliminated. These now-defunct programs include a Strategic Equity position within The Department of Child Services, a maternal health coordinator and disparities coordinator for the Indiana Department of Health and dozens of DEI training programs for Indiana educators. Beyond the classroom and doctors' offices, resources that were once available to parents who have adopted a child of a different race are now not offered to these families. This isn't about efficiency and it's not about "merit, excellence and innovation." It's an attempt to whitewash history and silence diverse voices.

We can't let that happen.

DEI isn't about giving any particular group a handout, it's about giving everyone a hand up by creating level playing fields and giving every Hoosier a fair shot at good health, a living wage and a high quality of life. The unfortunate reality is that, for many people, their race, gender, sexual orientation, ability and other factors have historically been a barrier to achieving these.

Indiana is one of the worst states in the nation for maternal mortality – an issue that disproportionally impacts Black women and women of color and we're terminating positions created to solve the problem. We're getting rid of protections against discrimination for renters and homeowners in a state plagued by a housing crisis. We're no longer going to provide our teachers with the resources they need to properly educate diverse classrooms while we're in the middle of a teacher shortage.

This isn't leadership; it's cruelty.

Not only will these actions negatively impact minority Hoosiers, it will hurt all Hoosiers for years to come. When our classrooms and hospitals are under resourced, when large swaths of people struggle to find affordable housing and when people don't have the resources they need to help themselves and their families thrive, all Hoosiers pay the price.

If we continue to go down this path, we'll see Indiana dip even lower in national rankings. Not only will the people already living and working in our state be impacted; it will actively discourage students, workers, families and businesses from bringing their talents to Indiana. Hoosiers deserve better than tired culture wars. The IBLC is calling on the governor and the Republican supermajority to focus their efforts on bringing us together, not creating more barriers that divide and weaken us.