At UPenn, the silence of allies poses the greatest challenge in the battle to uplift all

Many Philadelphians share pride in our ecumenical principles of uplifting all humanity, traits often attributed to this region’s Quaker roots. Few are more emblematic or powerful representations of enacting this in civil society than the University of Pennsylvania — our lauded academic, scientific, and economic driver.

That is what deepened the disbelief, frustration, and grief I experienced — along with a cadre of legislative colleagues — following a recent 90-minute meeting with Penn’s leadership about its decision to erase references to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from public-facing materials. I remain stunned by this august institution voluntarily choosing to disavow our core community values. This decision affirms convenience over courage amid encroaching radical hostility toward anyone not straight, able-bodied, white, and male. To do so is un-Philadelphian.

The real challenge to DEI is not from those who actively seek to dismantle these programs, but from those who fail to take meaningful action when it counts.

Evasive excuses centered on funding consequences, legalities, or, even more insultingly, feeling personally threatened in this era are callous at best, noxious at worst. When unity in our conviction of a pluralistic society is needed most, we cannot wait, as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned more than 60 years ago. “In the end,” King wrote, “we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

That silence today echoes broadly, from Penn’s halls to those of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. — a void that would usher in catastrophic blows to civil rights gains for people of color, women, people of diverse abilities, and religious adherents of all stripes.

By nearly every socioeconomic measure, those accused of “cheating” America via DEI initiatives are not supplanting their neighbors. Only 7.5% of Penn’s students are African American and 10% are Latino, which is much lower than the 13.7% and 19.5%, respectively, in the U.S. Census for these groups. They don’t make up a large portion compared with white or Asian students.

Pew Research Center studies confirm racial household wealth gaps persist, and even increased between 2019 and 2021. According to the Federal Reserve, on average, Black families have just 23 cents for every $1 of white family wealth; for Latinos, it’s 19 cents. And let’s not mention the historical and continued undercompensation for U.S. women across the board. These and other data points highlight the absurdity of any “taking over” claims fueling our current political fever.

The real challenge to DEI is not from those who actively seek to dismantle these programs, but from those who fail to take meaningful action when it counts.

Yet, the learned and experienced keep cowering. Penn told our group it would not compromise how it treats students or employees, but actually stating the words “diversity, equity, and inclusion” is “risky.” This is an opening drift toward the sort of betrayal and accommodation that facilitated the atrocities of World War II, now seen as erroneous and repugnant.

Penn is far from alone in this morally tenuous moment, as the list, sadly, teems with so-called allies turned deaf and dumb witnesses to the poison infecting our public discourse.

Congressional representatives, quick to grab headlines with partisan points, have been noticeably absent on these important issues. When the horrors of Hamas and antisemitic attacks surfaced, there was widespread expectation to strongly condemn the perpetrators. At the same time, criticism was directed at any response deemed insufficiently forceful. Any attempt to offer an explanation that referenced “complexities” or “multiple perspectives” sparked understandable anger, given the immediate threats faced by Penn students, their families, and friends.

It is striking, though, that such passion seems absent during this assault on the livelihood of students and neighbors who are Black, brown, and LGBTQ.

Our birthright is to help perfect a nation flawed by periodic ugly exhortations, to labor so that all in America can have an equal shot to pursue happiness and prosperity.

I grew up under that belief, committing myself to helping open doors for people of all abilities, colors, religions, and identities. I took pride in being part of a coalition intent on fulfilling and sustaining the promise of our Constitution, but this silence of friends has shaken me. As a God-fearing man, I pray my faith in them and my country will be restored because so far, actions to that effect remain unseen.

State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams serves Pennsylvania’s 8th Senatorial District, representing Philadelphia and Delaware Counties.