What you need to know about Ohio Politics and Policy
Toolkit: Protect and Defend Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Updated 3.3.2025
Summary: On Day 1, President Trump waged his war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices by issuing executive orders to ban it within the federal government and entities funded with federal dollars. Donald Trump’s attacks on DEI undermine progress, perpetuates inequality, and harms communities across the nation. These policies, which have been instrumental in fostering opportunity and fairness, now face the threat of being dismantled, jeopardizing the futures of countless individuals. His efforts to roll back these initiatives will particularly hurt marginalized groups, stalling the work of building a more just and inclusive society.
This toolkit includes messaging, content and resources to support those affected, amplify their voices, and equip advocates to stand up for policies that promote equality and opportunity for all.
Main Talking Points
- Trump’s attack on DEI is a political tactic used to divide us.
- Billionaires want to reverse the progress we’ve made towards an economy that works for all of us.
- We need to protect our freedom by ensuring free speech and equitable education in Ohio schools.
Messaging Guidance
- No matter what we look like or where we come from, America should work for all of us. But MAGA Republicans and their billionaire backers want to drag us back to a time when the wealthy called all the shots. They hope to seize greater power and money by spreading lies about the progress we have made to ensure we have an American economy that works for all. We see through their efforts to divide and distract us and we demand that our civil servants reflect and represent every kind of American, no exceptions.
- DEI policies create a level playing field where every individual, regardless of background, can thrive. Protecting these policies ensure every voice is heard, every opportunity is possible, and every community gets a seat at the table.
- Standing up for DEI means standing up for fairness and dignity for all people. Let’s protect policies that ensure all voices are amplified, that biases are challenged, and that every individual can succeed on their own terms.
- When we ensure that every person has the resources and opportunities to succeed, we all benefit. Protecting DEI policies means creating a society where everyone, no matter their background, can reach their full potential.
- Inclusive policies aren’t just good for people, they’re good for business and the economy. When we embrace diversity and foster equal opportunities, we unlock untapped potential, fueling economic growth and innovation. DEI policies are key to a thriving economy.
- For religious and people of faith: In America, we celebrate our differences and respect each other’s freedom to worship who they choose. But Trump’s attacks on DEI make it harder for Americans to express our beliefs, leaving us open to discrimination at our schools and the workplace.
Messaging DO’s and DONT’s
| ✅DOs | ❌DONTs |
|---|---|
| ✅Frame Trump’s attack on DEI as a “political tactic used to divide us” | ❌Legitimize Trump’s attack by conceding points or suggesting DEI is flawed. |
| ✅Lead with values like “freedom”, “equality”, and “respect for all Americans”. | ❌Use defensive or reactive language that reinforces opposition talking points. (e.g., “DEI is not to blame”). |
| ✅Name the culprits—MAGA Republicans and billionaire backers—and their motivations. | ❌Allow blame to be deflected or framed as just a difference of opinion. “DEI staff are just trying to do good”. |
| ✅Highlight past victories to inspire hope and show progress through unity. | ❌Focus only on setbacks, which can lead to discouragement and inaction. Let them set the agenda by reacting separately to each attack. |
| ✅Frame DEI as a shared American value that benefits everyone. | ❌use technical jargon or bureaucratic language that lacks appeal. Such as “affirmative action”. |
| ✅ Call DEI programs a form of free speech | ❌Accept the censorship of DEI programs or concede that some should be banned. |
| ✅Close with a vision for a better future where America respects and includes all. Reinforce the power of collective action. | ❌End on a negative note or suggest the fight is unwinnable. |
| ✅Use unifying language that brings people together across race, gender, and background. | ❌Frame DEI as a niche issue rather than part of a broader struggle for justice and democracy. |
| ✅Call out harm and consequences of MAGA policies, like silencing and firing civil servants. | ❌Focus on individuals instead of exposing the systemic agenda behind these attacks. |
| ✅Reiterate that America moves forward through inclusion, not exclusion. | ❌Ignore the economic forces behind these attacks—expose how they benefit the wealthy few. |
TAKE ACTION
- Defend Every Student’s Right to Learn
- ADD YOUR NAME: Demand Protections for Civil Rights and DEI Initiatives
Content: Protect and Defend Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit Content
Navigator Poll: Americans are Concerned By Elected Officials Using “Wokeness” as a Distraction
Resources
- Views of DEI have become slightly more negative among U.S. workers
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace
- Trump’s Attacks on DEI Reveal Administration’s Agenda for Second Term
- From Resistance to Results: The Executive Playbook for Leading Through DEI Backlash
- Views of DEI in the workplace vary along demographic and partisan lines
- Liberty and Justice for All: Confronting MAGA’s Anti-DEI Efforts to Resegregate Our Country
- What Students Lose When School Becomes a Political Battleground
- DEI and Accessibility, Explained
- Why and How to Protect DEI
- Why politicians keep blaming ‘DEI’ for disasters
Ohio SB 1
- Honesty for Ohio Education toolkit
- Ohio Senate reintroduced as Senate Bill 1
- Ohio’s Education Unions Call for Amendments to SB 1
- Ohio SB 1 Messages For Protest Signs and Social Media Graphics
- Stop Senate Bill 1: The Higher Education Destruction Act
Companies that have abandoned or rolled back their commitments or programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion:
- Accenture
- Amazon
- Boeing
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Brown-Forman
- Caterpillar
- Disney
- Ford
- Goldman Sachs
- Harley-Davidson
- John Deere
- Lowe’s
- Molson Coors
- McDonald’s
- Meta
- Nissan
- PBS
- Stanley Black & Decker
- Target
- Tractor Supply
- Toyota
- Walmart
Companies that have publicly defended their diversity, equity and inclusion policies:
- American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines
- Apple
- Cisco
- Costco
- Delta
- JPMorgan Chase
- McKinsey & Company
- Microsoft
- Nasdaq
- NFL
- Salesforce
National News and Updates
- A group of Democrats is calling on the Department of Education to rescind threats of defunding schools with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
- Public schools across the country, from pre-K to higher education, may now be at risk of losing federal funding if they refuse to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, following a deadline set by the Trump administration.
- A federal judge blocked sweeping executive orders from President Donald Trump that seek to end government support for programs promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Two anti-DEI executive orders:
- The first executive order largely scraps the DEI efforts that took place under Joe Biden, who had ordered all federal agencies to come up with equity plans. It terminates all “mandates, policies, programs, preferences and activities in the federal government” that the Trump administration considers “illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility’ (DEIA) programs”.
- A second executive order broadly ends any DEI activities within the federal government. This order overturns a handful of executive orders from past presidents, including one from Lyndon B Johnson that was signed during the civil rights era and required federal contractors to adopt equal opportunity measures.
Ohio News and Updates
- Ohio State University announced it was closing two offices devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion work on Friday (2.28.25) to comply with executive orders from President Donald Trump and a bill working through the state legislature. 16 positions eliminated.
- The elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs led Ohio State students to protest at the student union less than 24 hours after President Ted Carter announced the changes.
- The University of Cincinnati plans to dismantle its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, also known as DEI, by the end of February to comply with Trump administration directives, according to a statement from the school.