Minnesota Republican lawmakers, led by U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, are calling out the University of Minnesota’s controversial Design Justice program, accusing it of violating federal civil rights laws through what they describe as racial segregation under the guise of inclusion.
In a fiery letter to U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon, they denounce the taxpayer-funded program as a discriminatory initiative that pits students against each other based on the color of their skin.
“Discrimination under the guise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is still discrimination. It is unacceptable that the University of Minnesota continues to foster this type of division among the student body,” said Emmer and the Minnesota Republican delegation, including Reps. Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach, and Pete Stauber, in a statement provided to Alpha News.
Finstad, a U of M alumnus, previously led a letter in May 2023 regarding another discriminatory program on campus.
Program divides students based on race
The Design Justice program, housed within the university’s College of Design, restricts many of its offerings to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students, while carving out separate events for so-called “white allies.”
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits racial discrimination in federally-funded programs.
“These brazen efforts to sow division among students solely based on the color of their skin are further unfortunate examples of inappropriate and race-oriented programs taking place on University of Minnesota campuses,” the lawmakers’ letter states. “The University’s decision to offer this program only to BIPOC students appears to be a violation of this law and others that were put in place to protect all students from this form of discrimination.”
Civil rights complaint filed
Last month, Alpha News spoke with Bill Jacobson, president of the Legal Insurrection Foundation and its Equal Protection Project, about his organization’s federal civil rights complaint against the university.
“The University of Minnesota Twin Cities has a program called Design Justice and that Design Justice program has different elements, but they actually segregate the students by race. The program in general is open only to BIPOC—Black, Indigenous, People of Color is the acronym of the day on college campuses—and within that program, they do have some events for so-called ‘white allies,’ but they’re segregated events. The white ally events are open to everybody. The BIPOC events are only for BIPOC students. So it’s a segregated, racially discriminatory program at a public university in Minnesota,” Jacobson explained.
He said that the Department of Education provides federal funding to the University of Minnesota, making it subject to Title VI requirements prohibiting racial discrimination.
To date, Jacobson’s organization has filed nearly 50 complaints nationwide, including six in Minnesota. He called the Design Justice program one of the most “outrageous” he’s encountered.
“I’ve rarely seen anybody quite so brazen as the University of Minnesota Twin Cities is here, where they literally have segregated openly,” Jacobson said.
U of M silent on controversy
In their letter, Minnesota Republicans urged Cardona and Lhamon to promptly investigate the program and ensure compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws.
“As Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, proper oversight of this program falls under your jurisdiction,” the letter reads. “It is critical that you fully and fairly exercise your authority, investigate these unlawful practices by the University of Minnesota, and take proper action to ensure that this does not continue.”
Alpha News previously reached out for comment from the school on the Design Justice program and the latest federal civil rights complaint but did not hear back.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
