April 21, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS STATEMENT
CONTACT media@aprnetwork.org
ATLANTA –– Last week, American Pride Rises (APR) concluded the Defending Our Dreams college tour in Georgia. APR partnered with campus organizations at Valdosta State University, Fort Valley State University, and Georgia State University to empower students, faculty and staff with the tools and resources they need to protect opportunity for all by defending diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
“In Georgia, we’re witnessing firsthand how attacks on DEI are designed to silence our voices and limit our futures,” said Nia-Joy Knox, a student leader at Georgia State University and American Pride Rises Fellow. “But we’re not backing down. From Valdosta to Atlanta, students are organizing, educating, and demanding a future where every person — no matter their race, identity, or background — has the opportunity to succeed. This tour is proof that we’re not alone in this fight, and that together, we’re building something powerful.”
“The fundamental American values of diversity, equity and inclusion are under attack by a small, loud and cynical group of activists and politicians who are using their influence and power to hoard opportunity for a select few and restrict pathways to the American Dream,” said Stacey Abrams, founder of American Pride Rises. “Today, students at colleges and universities in Georgia and across the country are letting those select few know that this moment in our nation’s history demands action: we must continue to speak up, speak out and fight no matter how many setbacks we face to preserve these pathways for all.”
The Defending Our Dreams college tour is designed to engage directly with campus communities at colleges and universities across the nation to advance inclusive policies and protect the values that make higher education a transformative experience for all. As opponents of progress baselessly attack higher education and DEI, this tour seeks to ensure that all students, no matter their background or zip code, are able to build their own American Dream — no exceptions.
This visit comes as opponents of progress in the Georgia senate attempted to pass a bill targeting DEI in public schools and colleges across the state.
During the first leg of the Defending Our Dreams College Tour, American Pride Rises visited nine colleges across three states and interacted with several hundred students.
About American Pride Rises:
American Pride Rises (APR) is an initiative committed to protecting pathways to the American Dream by fighting for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive America for all.