TAMPA, Fla. — As politicians continue fighting over DEI programs and curriculum on college campuses, students on campus at the University of South Florida came together to hear a more civilized debate.
“And I was like, let’s see what other points I can hear from both sides,” said student Sylvauna Turner. “So that's why I came.”
Turner is a member of the First Amendment Forum, which hosted the DEI debate. She says even though she supports DEI programs, she wanted to hear the opposing side.
“Like you may not like their point but you can learn their point of view,” she said. “From there you can figure out how to work with other people around you because you're going to be working with people you don't agree with on a daily basis.”
New College of Florida president Richard Corcoran argued against DEI, believing it will no longer exist in a few years.
Political strategist Ameshia Cross lobbied for the country-wide movement that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion in both schools and the workplace.
“I think people should come into college expecting to learn new things and be more open,” said student Serra Sogut.
Wednesday's event comes on the heels of an appeals court upholding the ruling that Florida’s anti-woke law infringes on free speech rights. Inside the Oval Theater, the mood was far less contentious.
“Even though you may disagree at moments, you can also agree sometimes as well,” said Turner. “I feel like the whole point was to bring everybody together.”
“I would say it definitely it is a conversation that still happens even outside the Oval Theatre,” said student Jonathan Lucius.
A poll before the debate showed the audience favored no public funds for DEI programs. Afterwards, support switched in favor of using dollars for DEI initiatives.
Besides the anti-woke bill, Florida also has banned DEI in public colleges and removed sociology from required college courses and replaced it with a course on U.S. history.