Curtis Hill wrote Nov. 11, 2026, in a Fox News opinion column that recent rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs have produced a chilling effect: private corporations, foundations and some federal actors are becoming hesitant to support historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), risking reduced donations, research awards and outreach.
Hill attributed the observation to a mid-October conversation at the White House between ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith and President Donald Trump, in which Smith said donors fear that gifts once viewed as routine philanthropy will be read as DEI initiatives and invite government scrutiny or accusations of racial preference.
According to Hill’s column, that perception has led some federal agencies to pause or terminate research awards and outreach tied to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, and prompted a retreat by private foundations and corporate philanthropy that once supported skills training, recruiting and small-business capital.
Hill argued that opposition to DEI mandates need not equate to hostility toward Black institutions, and that critics should distinguish between opposition to race-based quotas and support for voluntary, merit-based engagement with HBCUs.
In the column, Hill said conservatives should pair legal and economic arguments against race-based preferences with policies to expand access, naming better K-12 preparation, vocational pathways, capital formation and the removal of unnecessary licensing and regulatory barriers as priorities.
Hill framed the aim as expanding the field of competition and judging results without regard to ancestry, writing that such an approach would allow Black institutions and individuals to compete on the merits rather than be treated as subjects of a political project.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
