Valuing Black Studies Requires Valuing Black People. Few Institutions Do.

The provided text asserts that defunding or eliminating Black Studies programs will intensify existing racialized inequities in student persistence, experience, and outcomes, particularly within predominantly white institutions. This perspective highlights a direct correlation between valuing Black Studies and valuing Black individuals within the institutional framework.

This issue is strategically important because it links academic program support directly to institutional equity and diversity goals, impacting student success and campus climate. Decisions regarding such programs can significantly influence an institution's ability to foster an inclusive environment and address systemic disparities in educational experiences and outcomes.

Defunding or eliminating Black Studies programs is projected to worsen racialized persistence inequities.

Forward consideration, not a verified fact.