Advocacy groups and a few residents gathered at St. Philip AME Church on Saturday, June 19 to celebrate Disability Pride Month and speak out against efforts to rescind diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the country.
During the event, which included music, a food truck, and a ‘DEI pledge’ for eventgoers to sign, some speakers talked about their experiences with disability and encouraged others to advocate for equity in their communities. Some families in the nearby Kayton Homes neighborhood stopped by throughout the afternoon.
Tracy Dickerson, a resident of Kayton Homes, attended the event with her young daughter and is unhappy with efforts to repeal diversity, equity, inclusion initiatives. She said that anti-DEI legislation “keeps us down” and believes in the importance of community events that give people an opportunity to gather with others and learn more about issues that impact them.
“That’s the most important thing, education. A lot of us don’t know what’s going on and really don’t care because we’re battling other everyday stuff. But this was a good event and a good idea, hopefully more people will come out and get more familiar with what’s going on,” she said.
St. Philip AME pastor C.J. Holliman said it’s important for faith leaders to continue working alongside advocacy groups in order to push the needle on movements.
“I believe it’s very important to disband the myths that are out there and continuously raise awareness, events like these also empower people. The more information they get, the more knowledge they receive, that’s able to transform the way you effect and adopt policies and legislation,” he said. “It’s a safe space for people to come and not only get the information but also have a good time at the same time.”
He added the importance of collaboration between faith leaders and advocacy groups and faith’s position in social justice movements.
“When you look at American history, faith has already been at the forefront. Since The Civil Rights movement and even during COVID, faith has always been a part of the movement and the transformation and empowerment that can take place in a community. That’s why I believe faith will always remain,” he said.
The event was organized by American Pride Rises, who partnered with New Disabled South, a disability justice organization. It is the kickoff event of the organization’s “Summer of Us”, a series of events where advocates travel to states across the country to educate communities on the meaning and importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Jordyn Bussey, director of legislation for American Pride Rises, said the events are meant to meet people in their own communities and invite them to mobilize others.
“The heart of this is the belief that change happens when people are heard, not just in the polling booths but in public forums, and that’s the space we’re trying to create,” Bussey told The Current.
In April, Georgia Senate Republicans introduced a bill that would broadly prohibit policies and procedures related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in public schools and universities. The Trump administration has also restricted grants to Georgia universities aimed at supporting women and minorities in STEM fields. Bussey said that these policy choices have long term effects beyond education.
Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight Local
“That is an impact that you feel in the moment in classrooms, but that’s going to impact how people growing up and entering the workforce understand and relate to other people that they’re working with,” Bussey said. “No one lives and works in a bubble in this society, so you’re going to interact with people that are different from you, and if you don’t understand the context that people are coming from, how can you successfully navigate not just the workforce, but society?”
Diversity, equity, and inclusion has been a contentious topic over the past few years, with critics alleging that diversity, equity, and inclusion policies undermine the principle of equality it claims to support. Bussey said that while the term ‘DEI’ has become a buzzword, it is important for people to understand what it actually means and its intent to reinvest in historically disadvantaged communities.
“The reality is what these are doing is peeling back key civil rights protections that ensure everyone in this county has the rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution. When we look at the impact, it’s removing rights from people who are not the small few in power already,” she said. “It’s feeding into that myth that for everyone to have rights and expanded power, it means they’re losing it, and they’re not.”
Shun Tucker Allen, director of faith community engagement or New Disabled South, said diversity, equity inclusion efforts include disability justice.
“You can’t have these conversations without talking about people that are disabled, especially when you start to look at some of the policies that affect people that live every day with disabilities” she said. “You want everyone in the room to be a part of something, and I think that’s exactly what DEI is. It’s not asking for anything special.”
State representatives Anne Allen Westbrook and Long Tran were also present at Saturday’s event and spoke with advocates. Westbrook, who represents Savannah, said efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion is an issue she has been focused on in the state legislature.
“I’m in the camp that believes that diversity is our strength and we are a diverse, multiracial democracy. That’s not going to change. No matter what is going on, ICE isn’t gonna change that,” she told The Current. “To me it’s important to be committed to that idea, especially now when there’s so much pressure to whitewash our history, change our education and remove some of the efforts we’ve done historically to remove barriers for people to advance and participate in democracy and realize their potential.”
Tran said anti-DEI legislation can often impact more than people may think, including programs can help create economic growth in communities.
“DEI runs the gamut. It doesn’t seem like DEI will hurt small businesses but there are plenty of small businesses that do federal minority contracts. With all these budget cuts, they’re going to put the squeeze on school systems and municipalities to say ‘Hey, whatever federal funding you’re gonna get, you gotta remove your minority business set-asides.'”
That also includes critical funding for disasters, Tran said.
“I want the community to realize that it’s not business as usual. FEMA is under attack, those kinds of emergency management funds are going to be greatly reduced in Georgia. And with the tone that the White House is setting, should we have another Hurricane Helene or anything of that magnitude, you can fully expect the minority communities to be last on the list to get support.”
American Pride Rises will continued their “Summer of Us” series in Orlando on July 26.
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