1. United States
2. Alaska
3. Letter

I am writing as a concerned constituent and as an Alaskan who values democracy, independence, and fairness. The recent executive orders targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives feel like an inappropriate and authoritarian overreach from the president’s office. It is a direct attack on the values that have shaped our country and our state—values that prioritize equal opportunity, respect for all individuals, and a workforce based on merit rather than nepotism and cronyism. As someone working at Alaska’s largest university, I have witnessed firsthand how this executive order has forced us to grind to a halt. Instead of focusing on teaching, research, and student success, we have week combing through websites, pamphlets, and policies to remove any mention of DEI. This effort accomplishes nothing of real value. It does not improve education, and it does not serve the best interests of Alaskans. Instead, it sends a chilling message to anyone who is not a white male: that they are unwelcome, that their contributions are devalued, and that their opportunities are at risk. This is nothing more than ideological control disguised as governance. The president is holding federal funding hostage to enforce his personal beliefs, dictating what institutions can and cannot say. It feels eerily similar to McCarthyism, where government overreach was used to silence and intimidate people rather than support them. The fact that a federal judge has already temporarily blocked some of these actions is a clear indication that they are legally dubious and ethically wrong. DEI programs are not radical, nor are they wasteful. They originated from the Civil Rights Movement and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure that historically underrepresented groups—including women, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals—have the same opportunities as everyone else. They make our institutions stronger, our workforce more competitive, and our democracy more representative. I urge you to take immediate action to oppose these harmful executive orders. Specifically, I ask that you: • Forcefully condemn the administration’s attack on DEI programs. • Support legal challenges and investigations into the removal of these programs. • Protect state and local DEI initiatives from federal interference. • Use your position to prevent federal funding from being weaponized against educational and governmental institutions. The people of Alaska value fairness, independence, and opportunity. The president’s actions are not about protecting taxpayers or improving efficiency—they are about controlling the narrative and undermining the progress we have made toward equality. I hope you will stand up against this overreach and take meaningful action to protect DEI programs. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response and to seeing your leadership on this issue.