On Mar. 7, the 7B Coalition released the “7B Statement Regarding DEI Rollbacks,” expressing concern about the impact of DEI rollbacks and stating a call to action for the Penn community.
Credit: Jean ParkSeveral Penn student groups expressed concern about the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives at the University.
On March 7, Penn's main minority coalition groups, commonly known as the 7B — including the Asian Pacific Student Coalition, Lambda Alliance, Latinx Coalition, Natives at Penn, Penn Association for Gender Equity, UMOJA, and the United Minorities Council — released a statement expressing concern about the impact of changes to DEI policies and calling on the Penn community to take action.
Amid recent University-wide revisions of DEI websites, the 7B Coalition expressed concerns about the impacts of the DEI rollbacks, stating that a January 2025 executive order from President and 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump will “threaten student-led advocacy and support systems for marginalized groups,” as part of “Penn’s DEI backpedaling.”
Referencing the scrubbing of the Penn Diversity and Inclusion website, which has been replaced with a page titled “Belonging at Penn,” 7B signaled concerns that the University “is not holding firm in their previous commitments to fostering diversity and equity” in the statement.
The statement is formally linked on several of the coalition members’ Instagram pages.
“From the start, UMOJA wanted to be intentional and direct about our stance on DEI policies at universities,” UMOJA Political Chair and College sophomore Mariama Njie wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “A key part of our discussions with members of Philadelphia’s Black community was ensuring that everyone had the freedom to express their thoughts, even when opinions differed. We didn’t want to present a monolithic perspective on DEI — we wanted to create space for open dialogue and concerns.”
Nije added that the reception to the statement has been “largely positive,” especially from the Black Alumni Society.
“Whether it’s affirmative action or the reductive practices of DEI policies, there is a recurring pattern of discrimination and suppression onto diverse communities,” Nije added. “Regardless, UMOJA remains committed to defending the right to equitable education and inclusive spaces.”
In a section of the statement titled “Our Call to Action,” 7B addresses University administrators, calling for “transparency” and “clear commitments to protecting DEI initiatives,” and requests the preservation of resources and funding.
“We offer our support through active engagement with [the administration] to address this concern and provide insight,” the statement read.
7B emphasized the capacity for student organizations with DEI committees — and the student body as a whole — to engage with their mission.
“DEI is not just an administrative initiative,” the coalition said in the statement, adding that they advise student groups to “not change your names, missions, or commitments in response to these attacks.”
“We are still here. We are still organizing. We are still fighting,” the statement read.
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