Speaking Truth to Power: NCBW Greater Cleveland Chapter Testifies Against Ohio Senate Bill 1 (May 18, 2025)

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Greater Cleveland Chapter (NCBW-GCC) continues its steadfast advocacy for educational equity, voicing strong opposition to Ohio Senate Bill 1 (SB1) — also known as the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act.

SB1 represents a sweeping overhaul of how public colleges and universities in Ohio operate. If enacted, it would ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and training, limit faculty rights and collective bargaining, and mandate a new civics curriculum for undergraduates. The bill also includes provisions to eliminate low-enrollment degree programs, shorten trustee terms, and require public posting of course syllabi and instructor credentials.

In written testimony submitted to the Senate Higher Education Committee, NCBW-GCC President Dionne E. Jones underscored the harm such legislation poses to students, faculty, and communities of color. “If SB1 is passed,” she wrote, “it will remove protective factors that support persons of color in higher education and the subsequent Ohio workforce.”

Representing Black women from diverse professional and educational backgrounds, the Chapter highlighted how DEI initiatives have been critical in advancing access, inclusion, and success across Ohio’s campuses. The testimony also uplifted student and educator perspectives, illustrating the real-world consequences of dismantling DEI efforts in higher education.

Through this action, NCBW-GCC reaffirmed its commitment to defending equitable access and representation — ensuring that Ohio’s learning institutions remain places where all voices are valued, and all students have the opportunity to thrive.