Reclaiming DEI in Higher Education elevates the voices of diversity professionals while calling attention to the ways their humanity, dignity, and well-earned respect were denied as institutional leaders quickly, often carelessly, “switched gears,” dismantling offices and initiatives years in the making.

Through powerful personal essays, contributors share raw, honest accounts of betrayal and trauma, as well as their unwavering commitment to inclusion and equity in the face of institutional capitulation to anti-DEI pressure. Beginning with an analysis of the conditions that allowed anti-DEI hysteria to thrive and concluding with chapters on self-care and guidance for sustaining equity work, these writers reclaim their narratives and the path forward for healing. A necessary read for diversity practitioners, university administrators, and graduate students, this book acknowledges the dignity denied DEI leaders and affirms that both their work and their humanity matter.

Karen L. Dace has 35 years of experience as a faculty member and administrator in higher education, with 26 of those years leading diversity efforts on three college campuses. She is Professor Emerita of both Communication Studies and Africana Studies at Indiana University Indianapolis, USA.