The DCI Threatens Diversity and Justice Efforts

The author of this article has chosen to remain unidentified. The editor confirms the author has direct experience with the DCI.

When students hear “DCI,” they may recognize the name, but typically not for the reasons that the DCI would like. While the Deliberative Citizenship Initiative would prefer students to know about their Deliberative “D” Teams, weekly Commons Conversations, or forums, many are aware of their presence from the protest that occurred at their late September forum. The DCI received pushback for hosting a forum on “Race, Gender, and Sexuality” with ‘experts’ — none of whom belonged to minoritized groups in any of those categories and one of whom publishes hateful and violent papers targeted at the LGBTQ+ community and those working towards racial justice. It is important for students to understand that the September forum was not an isolated occurrence. The structure of the forum and the portrayal of a transphobic and racist scholar as an ‘expert’ point to a deeper culture within the DCI, one in which conversations on immigration, human rights, climate injustice, international wars, and histories of enslavement and racism all occur outside of historical context and without representation from impacted communities. While organizations such as the DCI push for absolute freedom of speech, the people and communities about which they speak demand discussions informed by empathy, history, and justice.

In order to understand the structural flaws of the DCI, we must first introduce a second organization working behind the scenes and proudly endorsing the DCI’s work: Davidsonians For Freedom of Thought and Discourse (DFTD). Led by Class of 1966 alum John E. Craig, run primarily by wealthy, white, conservative alumni, and informed by major college donors, DFTD is the group primarily responsible for all of the emails you have received about a “Commitment to Freedom of Expression.” We could dig into that statement itself, but it is on the whole a broadly-stated and mildly impactful statement (though it does notably secure right to student protest). The work and values of DFTD beyond that statement is what demands more too far, how to handle when someone gets ‘offended,’ and how to navigate the ‘sensitivity’ of the student body. The DCI’s egalitarian and neutrality focused approach to discourse protects people from taking accountability to harm caused, a strategy part of larger conservative narratives to displace harmful mistreatment and violent rhetoric, the DCI calls them combative and demands ‘civility.’ Should people on this campus feel empowered enough to convey their experiences of systemic harm and mistreatment, the DCI will simply tell them, “your high emotions and deep-seated values are standing in the way of progress.” The DCI and DFTD’s work to increase ideological diversity and discourage emotional conversation and disruptive demonstration stand in direct opposition to the increasing diversity of the student body and are actively recreating the structural white supremacy upon which Davidson is built and sustained. of our attention. The first part of their mission statement provides insight to how they aim to shape our campus:

“DFTD seeks to ensure that a core value of Davidson is free inquiry, not indoctrination in any ideology or political viewpoint. We support a campus climate that is civil, respectful, tolerant of all, and grounded in Christian values.”

While this organization is widely unknown to students, its members are highly active in their effort to revert the Davidson community to what it was in 1996 when their founder graduated. DFTD and the DCI consistently demand the time and attention of our administration and are a threat to the work of students, faculty, and staff who are reckoning with Davidson’s history and improving the culture of inclusion and diversity on campus.

Both the DCI and DFTD center ideological diversity as the main priority for Davidson’s student body. This means that in DCI planning meetings, the central question is “how do we ensure all students, liberal and conservative, feel welcome to our conversations and free to express themselves on campus?” Discussions consider how to decide when speech goes

‘white guilt’ back onto harmed communities. Their approach is rooted in pity for white, conservative, and Christian students who are uncomfortable living and studying in the backdrop of efforts to increase campus diversity and initiatives like the Commission on Race and Slavery.

The fundamental failure behind the central question of these organizations is the assertion that the decrease in power and influence of conservative voices on campus is of equal concern and urgency to the experiences of marginalized people who face threats of actual violence and experience generational oppression and loss of wealth. One does not have to strain to see through the veil of the DCI’s egalitarian perspective on ideological diversity to recognize the DFTD’s outward outrage at the lack of a conservative and Christian majority on the Davidson campus. While students on this campus struggle to feel at home amidst the stifling history of enslavement and white supremacy and the current culture of anti-queer rhetoric and racial discrimination, the DCI cries for egalitarianism and labels them as “overlypolitical.” When students speak out against

I have been asked before how I think the DCI might improve on these failures. After all, I do believe in engaging in discourse with those we disagree with, and it is true that the ability to speak freely and express oneself openly are essential tools to democracy. Unfortunately for the DCI, the issues are foundational. The leadership of the organization lacks representation and historical training, and the groups who inspire, endorse, and direct their work are informed by deeply harmful and unjust values. For students interested in engaging in relevant and progress-focused discourse with historically informed and diverse perspectives, I would encourage them to take courses in departments such as Africana, Anthropology, Sociology, Latin American Studies, and Gender & Sexuality Studies. Anyone looking for engaging and productive work might seek out opportunities for student activism and community service on campus. Opportunities for diverse thought, challenging views, and productive work exist throughout Davidson, but I would not recommend starting your search with the DCI.

All correspondence to the author should be directed to the editor at avreid@davidson.edu.