The Assault on Higher Education is an Assault on Democracy

Universities are under siege—not by forces of academic debate, but by political operatives intent on dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, restricting free speech, and rolling back LGBTQ+ protections. These attacks, often framed as fights against "wokeness" or "indoctrination," are an affront to the civil rights of students and are attacks on the very foundation of our democracy.

These assaults on higher education are nothing new. They are part of a historical pattern: when education threatens entrenched power, that power fights back and attempts to shut the door on progress. And if we allow these attacks to continue unchecked, we risk losing not only our institutions of higher learning, but also the democratic ideals they uphold.

American colleges and universities have long played a critical role in shaping our nation; they have cultivated informed citizens, fostered critical thinking, and served as incubators for progress and social change. The mission of higher education is rooted in the ideals of free speech, open inquiry, and debate—the cornerstones of democracy. Thomas Jefferson argued that an educated citizenry was essential for self-government, and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 explicitly tied the survival of democracy to public education.

After the Civil War, the rise of public universities and the establishment of land-grant colleges through the Morrill Act of 1862 expanded access to knowledge, reinforcing the idea of education as a public good. However, Black students were excluded until the passage of the Morill Act of 1890, though still in a segregated higher education system.

In the 20th century, universities became engines of social progress. The GI Bill of 1944 fundamentally reshaped higher education by dramatically expanding access to college for millions of returning World War II veterans. Previously, higher education had been largely for the elite, but the GI Bill opened the door to higher education for a new swath of Americans by providing tuition assistance and living stipends, enabling working-class Americans—including many first-generation college students—to earn degrees. This influx of educated citizens contributed to an unprecedented era of economic expansion, strengthening the middle class and fostering a more engaged and informed electorate. The policy transformed universities from exclusive institutions into powerful engines of upward mobility, setting a precedent for the financial aid programs of today—federal student loans, Pell Grants, and more—aimed at broadening access to education. Still, Black students were excluded due to redlining and Jim Crow laws.

As universities opened their doors to more diverse student populations, they also became epicenters for cultural and political upheaval. The Free Speech Movement at Berkeley in the 1960s marked a turning point in student activism, challenging university restrictions on political expression and laying the groundwork for broader protests against the Vietnam War. Across the country, student-led demonstrations, teach-ins, and strikes forced a national reckoning on America’s military interventions, sparking debates on government accountability, civil liberties, and the role of universities in shaping public discourse. The feminist movement also found fertile ground on college campuses, as women organized for gender equality, reproductive rights, and protections against sexual harassment, demanding institutional and societal change.

While there was progress during this time, there were also significant efforts to suppress the student speech and activism during this same era, from the crackdown on anti-Vietnam protests in the 1970s to the FBI’s COINTELPRO targeting of Black student organizers. In both cases, the government sought to delegitimize and dismantle movements challenging the status quo. During the Vietnam era, police violently clashed with student demonstrators, sometimes resulting in death, as seen in the Kent State massacre of 1970. Similarly, COINTELPRO infiltrated and disrupted Black student organizations, often using surveillance, intimidation, and misinformation to weaken their influence.

During the Civil Rights Movement, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) played a critical role in training and mobilizing young activists. These institutions became hubs of resistance, where students organized sit-ins, voter registration drives, and Freedom Rides to challenge segregation and disenfranchisement. Civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and Diane Nash, who emerged from HBCUs, helped steer the nation toward greater racial justice, forcing the country to confront its ugly legacy of discrimination and inequality. The activism that flourished on college campuses throughout the 20th Century underscored the power of education not just as a pathway to opportunity, but as a catalyst for social change.

The truth is higher education has been at the forefront of diversity efforts in this country. Before Brown v. Board of Education dismantled the idea of “separate but equal” in K-12 education, higher education cases like Sweatt v. Painter and McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents laid the legal groundwork for integration, challenging the discriminatory barriers that kept Black students out of white institutions. These cases helped dismantle legal segregation in education and demonstrated that when higher education fell short of its democratic promise, it was often one of the first places forced to confront and correct its shortcomings. The progress made in diversifying colleges and universities has set precedents for the broader fight for civil rights and inclusion across American society.

These historical precedents show a broader pattern: when students push for justice and equity, they face resistance designed to stifle their voices and maintain existing power structures. The message then and now: dissent is dangerous.

Each of these moments reaffirmed a basic truth: democracy flourishes when education is free, open, and unafraid. Today, students and faculty drive conversations around issues that demand democratic engagement and public discourse, from racial justice to climate change to economic inequality.

However, recent legislative and political actions threaten this legacy. Across the country, lawmakers have introduced bills to defund DEI programs, prohibit the teaching of so-called divisive concepts, and limit discussions around race, gender, and sexuality in classrooms and across campuses. Florida’s Stop WOKE Act and Texas’s attacks on tenure are just two examples of how state governments are eroding academic freedom and free speech under the guise of combatting indoctrination.

Now, the Trump Administration has announced multiple investigations into colleges and universities, including for partnering with “The Ph.D. Project,” a nonprofit that partners with universities to help underrepresented students through “mentoring, networking, and unique events, and by connecting businesses to a pool of high-potential candidates.” The Trump Administration claims these investigations are about ensuring federal funding does not support race-based hiring or admissions practices.

However, these justifications fall apart under scrutiny—many of these programs comply fully with federal law, and targeting them appears to be more about political theater than legal principle. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Education is legally forbidden from having a role in curriculum. The pattern is clear: when education empowers the marginalized, as it has done since the end of the Civil Rights movement, those in power attempt to control it.

The assault on LGBTQ+ inclusion in higher education is equally alarming. Policies that ban gender-affirming healthcare for students or prohibit discussions of LGBTQ+ identities in classrooms don’t just target individual students—they send a chilling message about who belongs and who does not. When we restrict speech and silence marginalized voices, we are not just limiting academic freedom; we are chipping away at the democratic promise of an inclusive and representative society.

Ironically, many of those who claim to champion free speech are the same individuals seeking to curtail it in higher education. The hypocrisy is evident: universities should supposedly allow controversial conservative speakers unfettered access, yet faculty and students discussing systemic racism or queer history are labeled as radical propagandists seeking to indoctrinate students. This selective approach to free speech isn’t about protecting expression; it’s about controlling it. President Trump himself showed this in a recent post on social media declaring:

“All Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests.”

Higher education thrives on the free exchange of ideas. Suppressing discussions on race, gender, and inequality doesn’t just stifle academic freedom and exploration—it deprives society of the knowledge necessary to build a more just and informed democracy. Universities should be places that bring people from all walks of life together and where difficult conversations happen, not institutions beholden to political whims.

If history teaches us anything, it’s that democracy does not function without an educated and engaged populace. When we weaken higher education—by restricting speech, defunding critical programs, and devaluing academic freedom—we weaken democracy itself. These attacks are not just about what can or cannot be taught; they are about who has the power to shape the future of our country.

Colleges and universities must remain strongholds of knowledge, debate, and progress. And those who value democracy must recognize that the fight for higher education is a fight for the very essence of our nation.