Univ of Alabama suspends two student-run magazines - Alice & 1956 - due to Trump's DEI guidance

[Anonymous]

The University of Alabama has suspended the publication of two student-run magazines — one primarily focused on Black students and another on women’s issues — citing recent federal guidance against diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses.

The editors of Nineteen Fifty-Six and Alice magazines were informed Monday that the university was stopping the magazines immediately. A university official cited July guidance from Attorney General Pamela Bondi on what the Trump administration considered unlawful discrimination at institutions that receive federal funding, according to one of the editors.

Alice editor-in-chief Gabrielle Gunter said she was shocked and heartbroken about the decision. The magazine had just marked its 10th anniversary.

“It was pretty dumbfounding. I was under the impression that we were protected by freedom of the press and the First Amendment,” Gunter said.

Gunter said she asked how they violated the guidelines and was told the university believes having a target audience of women violates the guidelines.

The most recent issue of Alice included beauty content, such as dupes for high-end cosmetics, and more political pieces about misogyny in heavy metal music and an article on the politics of reproductive issues.

Nineteen Fifty-Six is named after the year the first Black student, Autherine Lucy Foster, was allowed to enroll at the university. It’s been in publication for the past five years.

“As Editor-In-Chief, I’m devastated but, regrettably, not surprised by the University of Alabama’s decision to suspend Nineteen Fifty-Six based on the current climate of our country. The students who have cultivated this magazine over its five-year lifespan have poured their hearts and souls into their work,” magazine editor Kendal Wright said in a statement.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/04/university-of-alabama-shutters-black-female-student-magazines-00676396

[Anonymous]

Both publications were founded upon and furthered DEI.

DEI perpetuates racial divisions rather than fostering unity.

Further, the mandatory DEI training required at most universities has been shown to increase prejudice among participants, rather than ameliorating the problem.

[Anonymous]

It's Alabama.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both publications were founded upon and furthered DEI.

DEI perpetuates racial divisions rather than fostering unity.

Further, the mandatory DEI training required at most universities has been shown to increase prejudice among participants, rather than ameliorating the problem.

None of the above is true. Rather, they are all flat-out lies.

How dare you. You should be ashamed of yourself. I very much wish that we could identify you so you could be publicly humiliated and canceled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's Alabama.

Which people here should remember when someone posts about the honors program there in the College forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both publications were founded upon and furthered DEI.

DEI perpetuates racial divisions rather than fostering unity.

Further, the mandatory DEI training required at most universities has been shown to increase prejudice among participants, rather than ameliorating the problem.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both publications were founded upon and furthered DEI.

DEI perpetuates racial divisions rather than fostering unity.

Further, the mandatory DEI training required at most universities has been shown to increase prejudice among participants, rather than ameliorating the problem.

You must be an aggrieved white guy.

[Anonymous]

Holy snowflakes. If you cant tolerate reading student magazines about black issues and women's issues, I guess Alabama is a good choice for your snowflake self.

[Anonymous]

Even putting aside whether the Administration's anti-DEI policies are permissible with respect to university admissions, hiring, employment practices, etc. how is prohibiting certain speech not pure viewpoint discrimination?

[Anonymous]

On a related note, a teaching assistant for a U of Oklahoma psychology class was placed on leave after failing a student who wrote a Bible-based essay on gender.

https://apnews.com/article/university-oklahoma-gender-bible-essay-demonic-0fd51985c123737cd372ba609b730541

There is a reason Alabama and Oklahoma are looked down upon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The University of Alabama has suspended the publication of two student-run magazines — one primarily focused on Black students and another on women’s issues — citing recent federal guidance against diversity, equity and inclusion programs on college campuses.

The editors of Nineteen Fifty-Six and Alice magazines were informed Monday that the university was stopping the magazines immediately. A university official cited July guidance from Attorney General Pamela Bondi on what the Trump administration considered unlawful discrimination at institutions that receive federal funding, according to one of the editors.

Alice editor-in-chief Gabrielle Gunter said she was shocked and heartbroken about the decision. The magazine had just marked its 10th anniversary.

“It was pretty dumbfounding. I was under the impression that we were protected by freedom of the press and the First Amendment,” Gunter said.

Gunter said she asked how they violated the guidelines and was told the university believes having a target audience of women violates the guidelines.

The most recent issue of Alice included beauty content, such as dupes for high-end cosmetics, and more political pieces about misogyny in heavy metal music and an article on the politics of reproductive issues.

Nineteen Fifty-Six is named after the year the first Black student, Autherine Lucy Foster, was allowed to enroll at the university. It’s been in publication for the past five years.

“As Editor-In-Chief, I’m devastated but, regrettably, not surprised by the University of Alabama’s decision to suspend Nineteen Fifty-Six based on the current climate of our country. The students who have cultivated this magazine over its five-year lifespan have poured their hearts and souls into their work,” magazine editor Kendal Wright said in a statement.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/04/university-of-alabama-shutters-black-female-student-magazines-00676396

What’s especially tragic about this is that universities should be able to handle funding student publications with a wide range of annoying but peaceful views, partly because it’s impossible to know what will tick people off or who will get canceled.

Example: There’s no way anyone can ever write anything completely inoffensive about Israel and Palestine or the protesters on either side. If I write something about that, I get mad at my own post.

Imposing rules on student publications more vague than “no calls for violence, no porn and no doxxing” means that it will be hard for students to publish anything at all at schools that follow Alabama’s example.

And, of course, that’s the Trumpies’ goal: To smother any publications that consist of anything other than press releases that went through 20 rounds of review.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even putting aside whether the Administration's anti-DEI policies are permissible with respect to university admissions, hiring, employment practices, etc. how is prohibiting certain speech not pure viewpoint discrimination?

it's not---or I mean, it is. This is a reprehensible decision. SHuttering these student publications is a clear first amendment violation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both publications were founded upon and furthered DEI.

DEI perpetuates racial divisions rather than fostering unity.

Further, the mandatory DEI training required at most universities has been shown to increase prejudice among participants, rather than ameliorating the problem.

Racist/misogynist apologists are what foster division.

[Anonymous]

These magazines should be allowed, as long as a pro white or pro male advocacy magazine would also be allowed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even putting aside whether the Administration's anti-DEI policies are permissible with respect to university admissions, hiring, employment practices, etc. how is prohibiting certain speech not pure viewpoint discrimination?

It’s not about prohibiting free speech - it’s about finding inequality. The papers can continue. It’s the federal funding to the school, which, in turn, funds these papers that is the problem.