Weekly Full Policy Report - 9/6

Reverse Racism: A Fool’s Hunt

In terms of political gaslighting, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is lighting a fire by directing the National Center for Education Statistics to collect universities’ data on race discrimination in admissions. This recent directive follows Trump’s memorandum ensuring transparency in higher education admissions. But let’s be clear about this gaslighting directive: the discrimination they are looking for is the kind against white people. The Department of Education wants to ensure white folks going to university have agency and transition easily into academic life.

However, last month, a federal judge ruled this authoritarian effort by the Department to be illegal. Remember Tom Horne requiring districts to certify they had stripped their policies and curriculum of “DEI” and established a “non-compliance” list? Yea, the federal court just said No, this is not ok.

This push from the administration is based on a few recent SCOTUS decisions dismantling all race-based admissions practices in public and private higher education. In June 2023, SCOTUS effectively ended race-based admissions in higher education through two landmark cases: Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina. The court ruled that considering race in college admissions violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The outcomes of these two cases overturned decades of precedent that allowed universities to use affirmative action policies to promote diversity. 

Let’s remember: “reverse racism" isn’t real and yet, here we are with “official doctrines” spouting its existence and need for policy to rectify this discriminatory practice. 

This all reminds me of snipe hunting as a kid. If you’ve never been snipe hunting, let me tell you, you have been missing out! If you’re lucky enough to live in a part of the country that is home to these docile nocturnal creatures, then you must get a hunting party together ASAP! 

Snipes are elusive creatures that make hunting them a true art. Fond of wandering the terrain during dark hours, snipes are best hunted at night with plenty of flashlights and burlap sacks. Snipes are best if they are hand caught and not snapped in traps or heaven forbid, shot with some pistol or rifle.

If you have been snipe hunting, you know this is all a ruse just to get you and a bunch of friends out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night searching for “snipes”, critters that do not exist. You’ve been hyped up by some “snipe hunter” assailing you with stories of snipe hunts of the past. Similarly, some fool has been hyping up “reverse racism” too, another critter that doesn’t exist. 

This snipe story is meant to illustrate how often society is distracted by “snipes” like “reverse racism" and how advocates must remain vigilant in resisting the normalization of aberrations of our current reality: racism, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism, and misogyny. We must continue to resist in all ways and all directions. 

We prefer for folks to gather their friends for registering their neighbors to vote or hosting house parties to help educate our community and fund the movement. However folks are meeting this chaotic moment, we’re here for it! 

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The Arizona Legislature sine die (adjourned their session) on June 27, 2025 until January 12, 2026. We look forward to this next phase of reflecting and strategizing for what’s to come in the next session. 

SCHOOL BOARD ACTION

Just Schools is working to monitor school boards for both good and bad policy debates. We recognize that everyone is part of a school community and part of civic engagement is at the school board level because school boards matter to democracy. 

We’re currently taking applications for Hall Monitors to help monitor local public school governing boards. We can train you or your organization on how meaningful this work is to stemming the attacks on some of our most vulnerable youth: trans and nonbinary students. 

Hall Monitors are key advocates to understanding local actions and the impacts on students and their families. Hall Monitors will also utilize community supporters to leverage community responses to school board actions. School board meetings are usually held 1-2 times a month and Hall Monitors are able to listen and watch meetings in person or on the school district’s live stream from the comfort of your own home. 

Monitor Arizona’s school boards by applying to be a Hall Monitor!

CIVIC LITERACY - DISCRIMINATION & HARASSMENT COMPLAINT FORM

Humanity doesn’t always send our best. We know that queer students experience discriminatory comments, harassing behavior and a spectrum of slurs at school from their peers, faculty, and administrators. Discrimination and harassing behavior are not part of growing up and have no place in our classrooms or on our playing fields. 

If you have been discriminated against or have experienced harassment at school, consider filing a complaint with the Civil Rights division with the Arizona Attorney General here: (https://www.azag.gov/complaints/civil-rights)

By documenting your ongoing lived experience, government officials can no longer claim their ignorance of the problem. Bullying, harassment, and discrimination disrupt a student’s education and threaten their academic attainment and physical and mental health. Don’t be silent.