PODCAST:
August 28, 2026 ~ Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson talk with Desirae Tolbert, VP of marketing and communications at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History about universities closing down Black studies and programs.
A worrying trend for Black academics has been hitting universities recently, with African American study programs disappearing from multiple universities across the country.
A report from the Washington Post found that at least a dozen schools have scaled back or removed Black, African or African American studies programs since President Donald Trump signed an executive order against diversity, equity and inclusion programs last year. Many academics have criticized the GOP’s aim against diversity actions at universities, putting the Trump administration at blame for the eroding of African American studies.
“While we can’t speak about why universities are making some of the decisions that they do, what we can do, and what I can do, is stress the importance of really preserving and holding space for the history, for culture, for identity to show up, because it’s not going to change in the future either. We’re not going anywhere,” Desirae Tolbert, VP of marketing and communications at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, told WJR.
