Students at TCU discuss hip-hop and Black culture, navigating national and local initiatives aimed at curtailing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts.

Students at TCU discuss hip-hop and Black culture, navigating national and local initiatives aimed at curtailing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts.

In the "The Genius of Hip-Hop" class at TCU, a gathering with a hip-hop duo from the Northeast allowed students to chat about life, politics, and survival. The discussion didn't delve deep into national politics or rollbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, however, these issues loomed in the background.

Hip-hop artists Amari Mar and Jadin Shropshire shared their real-life stories, creative influences, and musical techniques. They explained their creation process by saying, "It's a feelings game. I might stumble upon a sample. I hear something and go, 'damn, that's dope.' I take that piece, maybe do my thing with it, add my beats."

Approximately 30 students joined the duo in a TCU debate room. This semester, the class has been exploring art and politics in a politically charged environment centered around diversity efforts, particularly on college campuses, including TCU.

TCU's DEI rollbacks

This semester, TCU has scaled back its public DEI efforts following a Trump executive order aimed at diversity programs on college campuses[1]. The old webpage for the Diversity & Inclusion office now redirects to the TCU Center for Connection Culture. The university also erased mentions of its DEI initiatives from prominent areas on the university's official website, where there's still a mention of the university's Race & Reconciliation Initiative, established in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd.

Marcellis Perkins, a strategy and innovation fellow in the office of the chancellor and president, believes TCU hasn't derailed in its diversity efforts. Perkins participated in a conversation with students during the hip-hop event.

"TCU is trying every damn thing it can to stay ahead of the game and protect as many people as possible," said Perkins, who recently earned a doctorate in higher education administration from TCU. "There are still people working on this. It will always change its shape and form in response to obstacles. That's just the nature of this work."

"Leftism and DEI" at TCU

The Tarrant County GOP has recently brought attention to "leftism and DEI" at TCU, sending an email in March criticizing the university for its supposed "DEI problem." The email alleged that the university's DEI officers have veto power over potential hires.

Bo French, chair of the Tarrant County GOP, stated, "We want a school that reflects and honors the traditional Christian background. DEI is oppressive and goes against everything the university used to represent. TCU has veered far from its original path, but we have ideas on how we can help." French and TCU officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Frederick Gooding, an associate professor at TCU and instructor of the "The Genius of Hip-Hop" class, is frank about TCU's rollback on DEI efforts.

"We have an opportunity to show what we truly stand for, instead of what we cowardly give in to," said Gooding, who hasn't been part of any community-wide dialogue on TCU's DEI rollback. "Removing a website without discussing it publicly, I think this is a missed opportunity to explain why these actions are being taken."

TCU students in "The Genius of Hip-Hop" consider diversity efforts important on their campus.

"(Gooding) is teaching us about the journey that led our country to where it is today," said Libby Dolan, a nursing major. "He discusses the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of music, extending that lesson into our personal lives and career choices."

For Tyla Robinson, the class offers a chance to identify with her personal history as a Black woman. The course delves deep into the Black perspective, she said.

"One thing that drew me in when I joined TCU was the Race & Reconciliation Initiative and seeing my professors so intertwined with that," said Robinson, a strategic communications and sports broadcasting student.

The "Hip-Hop Convo" at TCU offered students another way to explore the Black experience, going beyond DEI and race-related buzzwords.

Exploring the Black experience

Mar and Shropshire, the hip-hop performers, discussed their creative influences—from A Tribe Called Quest to Sam Cooke to listening to Public Enemy on a cassette player. They talked about how hip-hop connects generations, how to generate income from their music, and what creates the resonance in their work.

"I gotta be true to me, or I'll never be original," said Mar, who aims to avoid a cookie-cutter sound. "The essence of being a genuine hip-hop artist is being unique."

For Corinna Bou, a Latina TCU sociology student, authenticity involves actions speaking louder than words.

"We talk a lot about actions and words, what's more believable, and how do you make a difference?" said Bou. "How are artists in hip-hop making a difference through their music, even when they're not often the faces of hip-hop?"

Bou hopes TCU will improve in terms of its diversity initiatives but understands the university faces challenges.

Shomial Ahmad is a higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report, in partnership with Open Campus. Contact her at [email protected].

The Report's higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and UNT Health Science Center.

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

In-depth data on TCU's DEI rollback:

1. According to Inside Higher Ed, TCU has removed multiple web pages and resources related to its Office of Diversity and Inclusion, LGBTQ services, and other DEI efforts from its official sites[1].
2. Following a Trump executive order targeting diversity programs on college campuses, TCU has rolled back its public DEI efforts, redirecting the old webpage for the Diversity & Inclusion office to the TCU Center for Connection Culture[1].
3. The university removed mentions of its DEI efforts from prominent areas on the university's About page, but still references the university's Race & Reconciliation Initiative, which it launched in 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd[2][3].
4. TCU's decision to end its dedicated Office of Diversity and Inclusion reflects a wider trend among U.S. universities facing political and legislative pressures to dismantle DEI programs, with some institutions eliminating or scaling back such programs and offices[2].
5. Shortly after the announcement of TCU's DEI rollback, the university's faculty expressed concerns that the move would negatively impact diversity and inclusion efforts, particularly as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students and faculty members had growing expectations for the university to address systemic issues[4].
6. The news about TCU's rollback on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts has been circulating in the general-news and education-and-self-development sectors.
7. The politics of DEI on college campuses, including TCU, has been a hot topic in the community and in education discussions, with some groups like the Tarrant County GOP criticizing TCU for its DEI efforts.
8. TCU's recent decision to scale back its public DEI efforts has been met with mixed reactions, with some students in the "The Genius of Hip-Hop" class considering diversity efforts important on their campus.
9. The hip-hop event at TCU provided an opportunity for students to discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just in the field of music, but in their personal lives and career choices.

Read also: