麻豆精品

Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for 麻豆精品 Newsletter

Students are protesting in support of the Los Angeles Unified School District鈥檚 programs for Black students after President Donald Trump vowed to take aim at such efforts. 

Last month, the U.S. Department of Education  for any schools with race-based programming. In  sent to districts nationwide, the department ordered schools to stop using 鈥渞acial preferences鈥� as a factor in admissions, financial aid or any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race.

Now Los Angeles teens, working with , are trying to preserve diversity, equity and inclusion programs in LAUSD by showing their support for them.  

Last month, students, parents and local education activists with the  gathered at Iglesia Luterana St. Marks, a church in South Central Los Angeles, to rally for LA Unified鈥檚 DEI programming. 

The event, billed as a cross between a protest and a town hall meeting, also aimed to open up conversation about the lack of protections for gay and minority students under the Trump administration, said Maki Draper, a student leader with activist group Students Deserve. 

鈥淚鈥檓 here to stand up for my people,鈥� Draper said. 鈥淪tand up for those who feel like they might not have a voice. Stand up for those who are under attack right now.鈥�

In addition to the actions by the Trump administration, Draper said advocates were speaking out against a civil rights complaint filed by a Virginia-based organization, , against LAUSD鈥檚 , which gives certain schools extra resources.

The complaint argued that the BSAP violated federal law by 鈥溾�� and prompted the district to announce that it would stop using race as a factor in choosing which schools participate in the program.   

Draper said the BSAP provides opportunities for Black students after historical oppression. The program places counselors and social workers in about 50 schools with large populations of Black students.

Through the program, students have been able to tour Historically Black Colleges and Universities, participate in unique clubs and receive more mental health services.

鈥淲ith BSAP, I kind of feel more supported,鈥� said Devon Beard, a senior at George Washington Preparatory Senior High School, who also attended the coalition event at Iglesia Luterana St. Marks. 

鈥淚t gives students a reason to go to school, like they actually want to get up in the morning,鈥� Beard added. 

In 2020, the coalition successfully advocated for the defunding of $25 million from school police which was then put into BSAP. 

This year, the coalition鈥檚 organizers want LAUSD to expand the BSAP budget by $100 million annually and reinstate race as a criterion for the program, despite the complaint filed and that administration鈥檚 recent actions. 

The coalition has launched a sticker campaign to push those goals. Students passed out stickers at Iglesia Luterana St. Marks that said 鈥淟AUSD must protect Black, undocumented, and LGBTQ students,鈥� and put them on their laptops and water bottles. 

Threats by the Trump administration for an immigration crackdown  LAUSD, said Alexa Delgado, a junior at Edward R. Roybal Learning Center who attended last month鈥檚 event at Iglesia Luterana St. Marks.  

Delgado said a  across LAUSD schools earlier this month showed a desire to stand up against immigration enforcement and ensure immigrant students know their rights and are protected by their schools. 

鈥淣o child should walk out of their home and be scared that they鈥檙e going to be taken away,鈥� Delgado said. 鈥淎nd no parent should be scared that the child isn鈥檛 going to get home at the end of the day.鈥� 

This article is part of a collaboration between 麻豆精品 and the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Did you use this article in your work?

We鈥檇 love to hear how 麻豆精品鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.