this poem by claudia alick was written using the language that has been banned by the federal government. In Donald Trump’s first week in office, he issued executive orders rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Now staff at the National Science Foundation are scouring thousands of research projects for dozens of words that could violate those orders. The agency already notified scientists to halt work that doesn’t adhere to Trump’s directives.
The list of banned words circulating at the National Science Foundation and science circles across the country includes: women, disability, bias, status, trauma, Black, Hispanic communities, as well as socioeconomic, ethnicity and systemic.
In the heart of activism, where activists stand,
Advocates rise with advocacy planned.
They break the barriers, challenge the walls,
Biases crumble as justice calls.
Biased toward equity, not toward exclusion,
No place for discrimination’s illusion.
BIPOC voices, Black and Latinx pride,
A diverse community standing side by side.
Cultural differences, heritage embraced,
Culturally responsive, justice traced.
No one is excluded, no one denied,
Fostering inclusivity, standing with pride.
Disability rights, a fight we share,
No one discriminated—equal care.
Diverse groups from diverse backgrounds,
Promoting diversity, where love resounds.
Female voices, their power immense,
Women and underrepresented break the fence.
Gender diversity, all genders are free,
No room for hate speech or bigotry.
Hispanic minority, historically strong,
Indigenous community, righting the wrong.
Inequalities fade where justice prevails,
Inequitable systems shift with our tales.
Implicit biases, we seek to unmask,
Institutional barriers, a past we outlast.
LGBTQ voices, a chorus so bright,
Marginalized people reclaiming their right.
Minorities rising, no longer ignored,
Multicultural threads in justice restored.
No more polarization, no political chains,
No prejudice holding the future in reins.
Racial diversity, racial justice defined,
Race and ethnicity, uniquely entwined.
Racial inequality meets its demise,
Racism dissolves as unity thrives.
A sense of belonging, all people revered,
Sexual preferences honored, no longer feared.
Social justice, our banner unfurled,
Sociocultural harmony shaping the world.
Socioeconomic status no longer divides,
Stereotypes shattered as love abides.
Systemic trauma, we start to mend,
Undervalued souls now find a friend.
Underappreciated, underrepresented no more,
Underserved voices now open the door.
Underrepresentation fades in the light,
Equitable futures shining bright.
We increase diversity, enhance every space,
Diversity and inclusion at justice’s pace.
Equality reigns where once there was fight,
Women and minorities step into the light.
Together we advocate, together we stand,
Breaking the privileges long in demand.
We diversify, we amplify, we hold the key,
A world of justice—for you and for me.