In a public statement this week, Rep. Jack Bergman called diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives “dead on arrival,” citing an executive order from President Trump terminating DEI programs throughout the federal government. While some of the numerous Traverse City organizations with DEI programs have been impacted by the order – NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy had to scrub DEI references from its curriculum, for instance – others are outside the mandate’s reach and remain committed to DEI principles despite the political backlash.

Trump’s anti-DEI order has targeted colleges with endowments over $1 billion for investigation. That has affected institutions like the University of Michigan and Michigan State University – which canceled a Lunar New Year event last week over uncertainty over the order – but mostly leaves smaller colleges like NMC untouched. Still, NMC – which created its first position dedicated to DEI in 2022 and made DEI a key pillar in its strategic plan – has felt the impact of the larger national debate.

“What we’re hearing from our students right now is tremendous uncertainty,” says NMC President Nick Nissley. “We’re hearing fear. We’re hearing loneliness. They’re feeling divided and feeling the divisiveness that’s gripping the nation. When we sit down with the President’s Council, that’s what I come to the table with – a heavy heart for our students and our employees.”

Nissley sent a campus-wide email Tuesday addressing the federal anti-DEI order. Aside from the Maritime Academy curriculum edits – required because of the program’s ties to the U.S. Navy – “no other programs, policies, or funding at NMC are affected, given the federal focus of the orders,” Nissley wrote. “Our mission remains unchanged: We are committed to open access, student success, and ensuring that everyone at NMC feels a sense of belonging.” NMC doesn’t intend to phase out any of its DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) initiatives, nor preemptively make changes “beyond what is required for compliance,” Nissley wrote.

That email – and another outlining NMC’s position on immigration enforcement – generated dozens of responses from staff and students thanking the college, Nissley says. He acknowledges that due to how much federal funding NMC receives – through Pell Grants, for example – it’s possible future executive orders could leverage that funding to target DEI programs at the community college level. “It’s surely on our radar,” Nissley says. “But that truly would be unimaginable, to try and control 100 percent of the colleges and universities.”

Marcus Bennett – NMC’s Special Assistant to the President for DEI (pictured) – says the college plans to continue its variety of cultural programming, from its “Food for the Soul” cafeteria specials to its multicultural student club to celebrations for events like Black History Month and Juneteenth. “Even though sometimes things may be happening in the world, you have to make sure people are included and heard,” he says. While both Bennett’s title and the acronym “DEIB” could evolve at NMC over time – Nissley points to “belonging” as the key focus of the college’s work and the likely emphasis of the next strategic plan – its mission and values remain the same, he says. Community colleges were established with a “deep historical charge” to provide open access to all students, Nissley says, pointing out that classes like African-American history have been offered at NMC since the 1960s.

“Some people, when they think of DEI, have an inflamed view of it,” he says. “But what it means for us is we take care of food insecure students. We take care of our veterans, and our moms and dads who have a child with a disability. We have a summer catchup program for students coming to us unprepared. We have open education resources. All those things are DEI. I try to remind us as a college – and as a community – that it's not radical ensuring everyone has a sense of belonging and equitable access to opportunities.”

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) experienced considerable public controversy when it passed an antiracism resolution and established a DEIB subcommittee in 2021. The resolution went through several drafts – and hours-long public comment periods – before it was unanimously approved by the board, recognizing among other tenets the “value of understanding and appreciating human diversity and inclusion as essential and enriching to learning and living the ideals of a free and democratic society.”

TCAPS Superintendent Dr. John VanWagoner says the district remains unwavering “in our support for all students” and has consulted with legal counsel to ensure TCAPS remains in compliance with both state and federal guidelines. “We also have to follow Elliott-Larsen,” he points out, referring to the Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination in Michigan. VanWagoner says he doesn’t anticipate any changes to the board’s resolution or other diversity commitments so far.

Other leading Traverse City institutions also continue to promote inclusivity initiatives, including Traverse City Tourism – which states on its website that “we support diversity efforts within our community, seek to be inclusive in our tourism marketing efforts, and are committed to listening to and learning from the diverse voices of our visitors and locals.” It offers resources including accessibility, LGBTQ+, and autism-friendly guides. Traverse Connect also offers a database of DEIB resources for businesses. In the philanthropic sector, the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation (GTRCF) raised over $175,000 in 2024 for its new Endowment for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and will be awarding grants over multiple cycles this year. GTRCF President and CEO Dave Mengebier believes this is a key moment for philanthropy groups to “step up and take action” as other organizations risk losing federal funding.

GTRCF has been working on DEI initiatives for several years, according to Mengebier, who says he “can count on one hand the number of times somebody in our community gave us pushback, including right up to today.” Those who haven’t been supportive haven’t always understood the program, he says, or that it applies to a wide range of categories – not just race or gender or sexual orientation but also neurodiversity, disability, and lower socioeconomic status. “There’s a misconception that (DEI) is a zero-sum game, that somehow it’s taking money away from other communities and people,” Mengebier says. “But it’s a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats kind of idea. If we’re supporting folks who have not had fair access to these resources historically, it helps the entire community.”