Red State Rep And Senate Candidate Previously Supported Anti-Racism At University

Republican Louisiana Rep. Julia Letlow, who publicly opposes “woke ideology” in schools, appears to have pushed “anti-racism” efforts and other diversity projects while employed at a university.

Prior to her role representing Louisiana’s 5th congressional district, Letlow served in communications positions at the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) from 2015 up until she assumed office in April 2021. During her time at the university, Letlow helped initiate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) workshops, associated with an anti-racist organization and signed a statement “condemning racism and embracing diversity,” records obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show.

Letlow served as the director of marketing and communications from 2015 to 2018, then as the executive director of external affairs and strategic communications from 2018 to 2019, and finally as the executive assistant to the president for external affairs and community outreach from 2019 to 2021 for ULM, according to her LinkedIn. The representative’s congressional biography notes her time served at the university in her first two roles, but neglects to mention any position beyond 2019.

In a Jan. 27, 2020, email to communications staff representing the nine universities in the University of Louisiana System, Letlow asked members to attend a “follow-up meeting” to an “Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Workshop” held by the university the previous semester. Letlow stated they will be discussing a plan to move the previously-discussed initiatives forward, including “diversifying marketing and comms teams” and “establish[ing] diverse content.”

The workshop sought to address two issues: the “lack of awareness of diverse groups among students & employees” and “university publications/materials that lack representation of the students it serves,” a meeting document shows. Some of the other recommendations made at the previous meeting included “incorporating multi-cultural and diversity issues” into “general education requirements” and “freshman orientation/classes,” and “incorporating sensitivity training ” during employee onboarding and providing further professional development.

“As the leader of the Parental Rights movement and strong supporter of End Woke Higher Education in Congress, Julia Letlow has always been a champion for ensuring the voices of parents are reflected in the classroom,” a spokesman for Letlow told the DCNF. “She will continue to champion the conservative causes that have earned her the endorsement and trust of President Trump – including reining in DEI initiatives.”

The representative announced her campaign for the Senate on Jan. 20 with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.

Shortly after the death of George Floyd in 2020, ULM put out a statement “condemning racism and embracing diversity,” which was signed by Letlow, among others. The statement noted that “diversity is one of ULM’s core values,” as is “integrity,” which “must include condemning racism and racially motivated violence.”

“The recent killings of Americans George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia vividly serves as a reminder that the battle to eradicate racism, bigotry and discrimination is an ongoing fight,” ULM wrote at the time. “These issues have for too long caused the pain, suffering, and death of far too many Americans.”

Letlow’s Curriculum Vitae in 2020 made mention of her membership with the National Communication Association (NCA). The NCA that year put out a “antiracist call to sustained action” letter which said condemning racism and white supremacy were not enough and that allies of the anti-racism movement must engage in strategic “anti-racist praxis” to combat “police brutality, Black death,” and “White normativity.”

The letter goes on to call the Trump administration’s response to COVID-19 “racist and xenophobic” and refers to white people as “people privileged by
Whiteness.” NCA later begged the administration to restore federal DEI training.

Letlow is no longer a member of the NCA since joining Congress, the DCNF has been informed.

The Louisiana representative’s CV also revealed membership to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), which at the time published a guide helping organization leaders “implemen[t] a culture of DEI.” (RELATED: Records Show Anti-DEI Republican Helped Install Ideology At Texas Health Center)

Letlow participated in a panel on “Pillars of Professionalism” for a “Cultural Awareness” event at ULM, which featured another talk titled “Being a Champion for Inclusion” that discussed topics such as “unconscious biases.”

Shortly after entering Congress, Letlow helped a Louisiana university secure $2.5 million in May 2021, for a project meant to increase “the number of African American male students earning the teaching degree.”

The congresswoman bills herself as a parental rights advocate, serving on the Education and the Workforce Committee. She claims to oppose “woke ideology” and “political agendas” in schools.

There is no place for woke ideology in schools. My thanks go out to the Parents Defending Education Action group who work day in and day out to keep our children’s curriculums focused on learning foundational knowledge and not political agendas.

I also appreciate their support… pic.twitter.com/gszNQzMOvm

— Congresswoman Julia Letlow (@RepJuliaLetlow) February 15, 2024

In 2023, Letlow sponsored the Parents Bill of Rights Act which requires increased transparency in children’s school curriculum and allows parents to challenge educational materials in the classroom. The representative also supported the End Woke Higher Education Act, which ensures colleges are accredited based on their academics rather than any imposed ideological requirement and forces universities to better respect free speech on campus.

Letlow’s husband, Luke, was originally elected to represent the Louisiana district in 2020, but died due to complications from COVID-19 before taking office. Through a special election, Letlow was then chosen to take her late husband’s place.

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