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Multiple Speakers at Guilford County Board Meeting Urge Continued Support for DEI and Chair
Summary
Parents, clergy and students urged the Guilford County Board to sustain diversity, equity and inclusion work and to support Chair Dina Hayes Green. Commenters warned against book bans and urged robust curricula on Black history and HBCUs.
During public comments, more than a half dozen community members urged the board to continue work on diversity, equity and inclusion and to back Chair Dina Hayes Green amid recent controversy.
Brandon Rincher, a parent, said, "DEI is the law and is about serving all students equitably," and urged support for full funding and strong leadership. Reverend CJ Brinson told the board that he stood to "encourage our board members to continue in the tradition of providing justice and equity for all children in this county" and warned against narrowing curricula and banning books.
Other speakers echoed those themes. Jennifer Schall thanked the board for its Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and urged members not to "let forces of fear and hate" prevent work on unmet student needs. Lizzie Biddle and Betsy Harrington spoke about the value of inclusive materials and criticized efforts to narrow classroom content; Harrington also warned about misinformation on social media and urged teaching students to distinguish facts from disinformation.
Student speaker Blair Talton, who attended HBCU tours arranged by the district, said the experience "made me feel like I could achieve the same" and recommended stronger curricular exposure to African American history and historically Black colleges and universities.
Board members responded in later comments by reiterating their commitment to equity and by asking the public to check direct sources rather than rely on online misinformation. Several board members acknowledged receiving large numbers of emails and said they welcomed dialogue with constituents.
What’s next: The board’s policy committee has opened revisions for 30 days of public comment; the committee indicated those items will return for board discussion in January.
