The University of Alabama has suspended two student magazines—one focused on women's issues and the other on Black student life—citing new federal guidance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. University officials informed staff at Alice, a women's lifestyle publication, and Nineteen Fifty-Six, which highlights Black culture on campus, that the move was tied to a July memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi, per the New York Times. The school's Crimson White student newspaper first reported on the news.
The Bondi memo outlined restrictions for institutions receiving federal funds, warning against using criteria that could act as "unlawful proxies" for race or sex in university-supported programs, per the Times. Vice President of Student Life Steven Hood told students that, as a public institution, the university couldn't support magazines whose missions are tied to specific demographic groups, regardless of their openness to all students. Editors of both publications described the decision as disappointing but not unexpected, given the current political climate nationwide.
"In 2020, UA made promises to be more diverse, inclusive, and equitable," Tionna Taite, founder of Nineteen Fifty-Six, says in a statement, per the Alabama Reflector. "Five years later, I do not see any progress, and their decision regarding both magazines confirms this." The university, which has already shuttered its Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and closed spaces for Black and LGBTQ students, says it will preserve the magazines' existing content and continue staff pay through the spring semester.
University spokesperson Alex House emphasized that the suspensions are meant to comply with the law and said the university is committed to free expression. Hood invited editors to help develop a new campus magazine aimed at a broader student audience, but it's unclear if they'll participate. Meanwhile, a petition is circulating calling for the magazines' reinstatement.
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