About 150 students and staff rallied around Lehigh University’s central flagpole Wednesday afternoon before setting off on a DEIA Solidarity Walk in support of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility principles they say have been weaponized by the Trump administration.
“I just want some hope out of it,” senior Julia Contino said of the demonstration she helped organize alongside fellow senior Liana Secondino and freshman Ariana Bond.
President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked DEI initiatives during his campaign, and his administration has made an effort to purge even mention of the concepts from federal government agencies. Last week, the U.S. Education Department announced it was investigating more than 50 universities for alleged racial discrimination as part of Trump’s campaign to end DEI programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students.
Contino, Secondino and Bond all gained full-ride scholarships in part due to financial need, and said they want to see the university preserve opportunities for others from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“With the things that are happening to FAFSA [Free Application for Federal Student Aid] and the Department of Education, if Lehigh has to change their rhetoric for scholarships and things like that, I genuinely would not be able to — I would have to drop out,” Bond said.
Trump has promised to eliminate the Department of Education.
Bond, who hails from Maryland, is planning to major in economics and minor in sociology. As a first-generation college student, she said seeing the diversity of student clubs at her first-semester Career Fair made her feel that the university cared about her.
“That was such a relieving feeling because going to university in general was just scary,” Bond said. “When you’re in a new environment, there’s a bunch of people, and it still is a predominantly white institution, but it’s nice to see that there are those centers and systems in place to make people feel welcome.”
The student-led demonstration was sponsored by the university’s Center for Cultural Engagement, the Gender, Leadership and Empowerment Center, and the Pride Center. Organizers contacted dozens of student groups to emphasize the shared values between a wide range of identity-based organizations.
Contino and Secondino are both journalism majors from New Jersey who have worked for the university’s newspaper, The Brown and White, and the Gender, Leadership and Empowerment Center. Secondino also founded a feminist magazine called “In My Birthday Suit.”
Contino, who is double majoring in political science and has been accepted into a University of Pennsylvania master’s program in social policy, said she does not want to see students become fearful of DEI.
“Our power right now is in talking; and, especially in our generation, we grew up embracing talking, embracing these values,” Contino said. “We shouldn’t be running from conversation just because of three little letters.”
Building community, fostering debate and being willing to compromise are all part of DEI, Contino said, adding that she welcomes conversations with people who are skeptical of DEI.
“I love when people question,” Contino said.
Bond said polarized rhetoric has made it harder to push past emotional, defensive reactions and take the time to create open dialogue.
“The world needs so much more love,” Bond said.
Senior Kwynsky Miguel, a first-generation Filipino American student from San Francisco, said learning about someone’s heritage means taking the time to appreciate them as a human.
“You’re also taking the time to see that you are similar, more than you know,” Miguel said.
A sociology and anthropology major with a minor in Africana studies, Miguel said she’s applying for jobs that will allow her to continue to advocate for inclusion and belonging.
Contino and Secondino said the job market they are entering is not the workforce they were imagining, and they have at times questioned whether or not they should keep their DEI-related work experiences on their resumes.
As they’ve watched the university shift its own language — the Center for Gender Equity became the Gender, Leadership and Empowerment Center, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs rebranded as the Center for Cultural Engagement — Contino said they came to the conclusion that shifting rhetoric matters much less than maintaining core values.
“You can change the words, but the mission is what’s important to us,” Contino said.
Scott Burden, director of the Pride Center at Lehigh University, said it’s important to look to activists of the past to envision how to move forward.
“Thankfully, we have people to look toward that have been through this, right, that have advocated for all of us to be able to be here today as a moment of inspiration to build our future, because what is happening right now is an explicit attempt to limit and dull the futures of this beautiful crowd,” Burden said.
In a statement after the demonstration, Lehigh said it values the freedom of the university community to express their views and to have open dialogue.
“Lehigh University is committed to fostering an environment that is welcoming and supports all members of our community—regardless of background, identity, or beliefs,” it said. “Our strength as an institution comes from the diverse array of perspectives, experiences, and contributions that make up our campus community. Lehigh is committed to fostering a sense of belonging for all students, faculty and staff.”
Donald Outing, the university’s vice president for equity and community, said at the demonstration that Lehigh’s commitment to an inclusive, welcoming and supportive campus is unwavering.
“As you begin this walk, I ask each of you to reaffirm your commitment to these values, and not as a statement against anything, but more of a declaration of what we value as essential to the mission of this institution,” Outing said. “And that is a Lehigh that is truly for everyone.”
Morning 첥Ƶ reporter Elizabeth DeOrnellas can be reached at edeornellas@mcall.com.
