Publicly funded racism isn’t just for universities anymore; it’s quietly being promoted in some of our big cities, as well.
In 2023, the Texas State Legislature took action to ban race-centric programs and policies in all state institutions of higher education. Public awareness of critical race theory (CRT) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives among places of higher education had reached a boiling point, prompting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Republican-led Legislature to take action against what they saw as state-funded cultural Marxism.
But state leadership recognized that the problem had spread to more than higher education. DEI initiatives had also crept into state agencies.
Earlier this year, Gov. Abbott signed an executive order directing “state agencies to comply with the color-blind guarantee of both the state and federal Constitutions, including by ensuring that all agency rules, policies, employment practices, communications, curricula, use of state funds, awarding of government benefits, and all other official actions treat people equally, regardless of race.”
The governor understands the unconstitutional nature of race-centric policies, regardless of their stated aims. The Legislature followed suit in the 2025 session, passing legislation that banned such policies and practices at K-12 public institutions.
It would be fair to think that these recent actions were sufficient to root out state-sanctioned unconstitutional discrimination, but that would be incorrect. In recent years, large cities such as Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Arlington have joined the effort to officially (at taxpayer expense) engage in such unconstitutional discrimination.
For example, in undertaking to “create a more equitable and just city for all residents,” the city of Dallas created and implemented a Racial Equity Plan. This plan includes comprehensive efforts to embed equity principles across all city departments and services. Along with Dallas’ Chief Equity Officer, the Office of Equity and Inclusion proposed a nearly $21 million budget for FY 2022-23 to achieve what it calls “big audacious goals.”
In Arlington, 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd murder and subsequent racially-charged riots and demonstrations, the mayor and city council passed a resolution to create a task force (since then made permanent) to help the city “root out racism and discrimination.”
The task force’s report in 2023 celebrates the “Unity Council…[which] brought meaningful solutions regarding race and ethnicity to the forefront and while the City has implemented many of those recommendations, we still have work to do to not only bridge any gaps, but take the momentum for diversity, equity, and inclusion even further.”
In a recent article published in the wake of changing public sentiment, as well as state and federal crackdowns on DEI, Arlington’s mayor and two council members spoke up in support of Chief Equity Officer Troy Williams and the Unity Council’s work.
They make it clear they’re avoiding scrutiny by changing titles and terminology, similar to what we’re seeing universities and school districts do in response to SB 17. It’s clear that city leaders understand the law, but are still willing to, in the words of the mayor, “…continue to look to make sure we stay ahead of that curve a little bit with what’s going on in the state and federal government.” He goes on to say, “I would also caution us that we have to exercise a little bit of restraint, possibly, to ensure we don’t lose that keen advantage by being able to brag about the strength in our diversity.”
Race and gender-based discrimination are already prohibited by the federal and state constitutions, and as Gov. Abbott contends, municipalities that participate in it are already exposed to legal action.
Still, legislators have an opportunity to end these race and gender-centric policies at the local level next legislative session. Texans overwhelmingly do not want their schools, their universities, their state agencies, and their local governments participating in anti-American race essentialism, much less funding it through their tax dollars.
It’s time to throw racism (state-sponsored or otherwise) in the trash bin of history.
