Mark Schlissel, the former President of the University of Michigan, who was fired in 2022 is defending the legacy of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in an era when fear of the actions of the Donald Trump administration is forcing many educational institutions to walk away from DEI.
In a surprising and stinging column published in this newspaper, Schlissel took the University of Michigan’s top leadership to task for backtracking on its DEI commitments including the use of the language itself on university websites etc.
The piece clearly reads like not only a public shaming of the nation’s leading public university, but also a vociferous defense of the vast DEI regime that Schlissel built when he was at the height of power at the university. While Schlissel was well intentioned and believed in the redeeming mission of equity and inclusion, questions remain about whether some of the lieutenants he deployed to implement DEI policies actually did what they were supposed to do.
It’s one thing to set the culture of inclusion from the top. It’s a different question about whether those who were charged with implementing DEI did so effectively and in a way that spoke to achieving the overall inclusive vision.
In fact, a New York Times investigation raised serious questions about how the DEI vision of Schlissel played out under the team that he assigned.
Sometimes such programs can be left at the mercy of some overzealous administrators who may miss the mark and are only interested in grabbing the headlines instead of ensuring that the substance of the work is not only done but is felt across the entire university.
Schlissel, did the right thing pushing the issue when he was president. I had many conversations with him during his tenure. He was willing to listen to the uncomfortable issues of racial inequality. He was not afraid of using his bully pulpit to say what needs to be said. He didn’t hide behind “officialdom” to carefully stay away from wading into the difficult waters of inequality and poverty in Detroit.
When he formally began his tenure in 2014, I invited him over for dinner with former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to discuss access in higher education. I wasn’t surprised to see the implementation of his Go Blue Guarantee to make higher education accessible to low-income families.
In my view, Schlissel was a good man. I
It matters to know where people stand on issues. I knew where Schlissel stood. He wasn’t a coward. Whether he had the right team around him to ensure that his DEI mandate avoided some pitfalls is open for debate.
The challenge for Kent Syverud, the incoming 16th president of the University of Michigan, is whether he would be willing to bend the arc of history towards justice. Credentials matter but what this era is urgently calling for is courageous higher education leaders who are willing to use their offices to advance the cause of equity and fairness.
History often doesn’t remember the credentials of leaders. History remembers their impact and how bold they were in championing inclusion. Unfortunately, many highly accomplished leaders are hiding under the table right now for fear of President Trump instead of being on front street and speaking truth to power. History won’t be kind to these leaders.
The ball is in the court of UM’s Syverud.
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Bankole Thompson’s columns appear on Mondays and Thursdays in The Detroit News.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Thompson: Mark Schlissel stood up for DEI. Will other university leaders?
Reporting by Bankole Thompson / The Detroit News
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