April 14, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS STATEMENT
CONTACT media@aprnetwork.org
DETROIT –– Last week, American Pride Rises (APR) continued the Defending Our Dreams college tour across Michigan. APR partnered with campus organizations at Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne 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).
“We’re not just defending DEI — we’re defending the promise of what higher education is supposed to be,” said Demiah, a student leader at University of Michigan and American Pride Rises Fellow. “When universities abandon diversity, equity and inclusion, they’re turning their backs on generations of students who have fought for the right to belong. This movement is about making sure no one gets left behind — not now, not ever.”
“What we saw on these campuses was powerful — students rising up with clarity and conviction, ready to lead,” said Kia Sims, Director of Civic Engagement at American Pride Rises. “At a time when DEI is under attack, we’re here to remind people that it is not a threat — it’s a strength. The Defending Our Dreams tour is about giving students the tools to protect their futures and demand the education they deserve.”
This visit came just a week after the University of Michigan declared they will end its DEI program, closing its office of diversity, equity and inclusion, the office for health equity inclusion, and discontinuing its DEI 2.0 strategic plan, which laid out a blueprint for diversity initiatives through 2028.
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.
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.