By Heather Gann | hgann@al.com
The University of Alabama on Monday announced to staff of student-run publications Alice Magazine and Nineteen Fifty-Six that the magazines would be suspended, effective immediately, in compliance with federal regulations.
In their decision, UA officials cited a memo released by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi this summer claiming that DEI initiatives can be considered discriminatory and may be in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws.
The university said it hopes to work with students “to develop a new publication that features a variety of voices and perspectives” in the next academic year.
“The University remains committed to supporting every member of our community and advancing our goals to welcome, serve and help all succeed,” representatives wrote in a release Tuesday.
“In doing so, we must also comply with our legal obligations. This requires us to ensure all members of our community feel welcome to participate in all provided programs, including student publications.”
Alice Magazine, which celebrated its 10th year this month, describes itself as “a fashion and wellness magazine,” on its website.
“Our mission is to help students learn how to feel comfortable in their journey of navigating college life during this transition from teen to adult years,” the site reads.
“It is so disheartening to know that so many of us have put so much hard work into these magazines that are now being censored,” Gabrielle Gunter, editor-in-chief of Alice Magazine, told student news outlet The Crimson White.
1956, which was established in 2020, describes itself as “a student-run magazine focused on Black culture, Black excellence, and Black student experiences at The University of Alabama.”
“With our content, we hope to keep students informed about what’s happening around them and provide a space for students of color to feel seen and heard and to share their stories rather than take them,” its site reads.
“We strive to showcase the complexities of the Black and brown experience and how people of color are not a monolith.”
Steven Hood, vice president of student life, told the staff of both publications Monday night that because they target specific groups, they are “unlawful proxies” per the guidelines of Bondi’s letter.
UA representatives said in their statement that the university “routinely reviews programming as the compliance landscape changes. If compliance with legal obligations impacts a program on UA’s campus, we will work to find new opportunities to take its place.”
Last summer, following the passage of state anti-DEI law SB129, the UA system announced it planned to close the schools’ DEI offices and replace them with offices that seemingly addressed similar goals.
Later in August, UA closed its Black Student Union and Safe Zone, its LGBTQ+ resource center, citing compliance with SB129.
