One year after Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order to ban DEI initiatives from state agencies, Black students at Texas State experience its effects on and off campus.
Monay Stallworth, vice president of Black Women United and business management junior, said the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives feels like a reversal of decades of social change.
“It’s sad to see replications of the past in a way,” Stallworth said. “I think it’s also motivating because we have to be bigger; we have to do something bigger than ourselves at the end of the day. We have to go out and make change.”
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, less than two weeks before the start of Black History Month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an opinion declaring some DEI policies unconstitutional and suggesting that private companies that engage in DEI practices would open themselves up to “legal liability under state and federal law.”
Chisom Ezeonu, senator of the Texas State National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and computer information systems senior, said DEI repeals are already impacting the conventions the organization goes to.
“Even at our whole regional conferences in Houston, we saw a lot of companies pulling out, taking away sponsorship and funding for our organization,” Ezeonu said.
Ezeonu said he’s nervous about the upcoming national NSBE convention in Baltimore and what it will look like for the students attending.
Trinity Taylor, president of the Black Pre-Law Association (BPLA) at Texas State and a history senior, said her organization is experiencing the effects of rolled-back DEI initiatives, and she feels students do not take BPLA seriously because it is a Black pre-law association.
“Our student org has been hit with a lot of racial comments,” Taylor said. “… We had to take a step back, but we had to be professional because we can’t act out as Black students here.”
In September 2025, Black organizations at Texas State reported an increased amount of racial threats after Gov. Greg Abbott shared a video of former student Devion Canty “mocking” Charlie Kirk’s death at a memorial. Organizations like Black Student Alliance had to lock down their social media accounts and stop publicly posting where their meetings were.
DEI opened doors for students from underrepresented backgrounds, Ezeonu said. He believes the continued repeals of DEI initiatives will shut down decades of that effort.
“One thing that DEI did for us, as a Black STEM major and Black engineer was give give us visibility and exposure to different big organizations,” Ezeonu said. “Coming up from wherever, different background, different ethnicities, etcetera, you may not think that you might be able to work at an oracle.”
Stallworth said students of color who may be impacted by DEI removals should continue to keep their heads down and work hard to build community.
“Don’t let other people’s opinions or ideas affect who you are and how you live,” Stallworth said. “At the end of the day … if you continue to be who you are and live your life, you could build a community and you can create something great.”
For Ezeonu, Texas State has provided him with a community since he transferred from community college.
“Being able to come to Texas State … definitely gives me a sense of camaraderie in a good place that I can call home,” Ezeonu said.
For Black History Month, Texas State is offering an art exhibit highlighting Black history at Texas State, an art and performance show, a themed Tunes at Noon, Hump Night at Sewell Park and a cookout at Bobcat Trail.
Stallworth said she feels Texas State could have more conversations with Black students to put together a Black History Program that celebrates culture more.
“I know [Texas State does] host events, and they support, but I feel like it doesn’t really showcase Black History Month as it should,” Stallworth said. “I feel like when they do their events, they should consider talking to the Black students on campus more so they can host a more curated event that are celebrations of our culture.”
Taylor said BPLA is hosting a few of its own events targeted toward pre-law individuals on Feb. 11 with the NAACP at Texas State’s political action committee to promote healthy debate and political discussion.
