This is an opinion column.

It’s not just athletes. Oh, I get it. Telling these folks you’ll steer young Black athletes elsewhere if Alabama’s Republican lawmakers pass DEI-phobic SB129—in whatever convoluted way, shape, or amended form it ends up being—was a swift kick in the … teeth.

It was a threat with no need for a veil. A threat to return our college sports teams to their white-washed days of bore when fans didn’t want Blacks playing in their teams. Until they realized they couldn’t win without them. Until they came to demand Black talent, to crave it. Even as some part of themselves still loathed them when they were not in uniform.

That’s how Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin got their attention. “Although I’m the biggest Bama fan, I have no problem organizing Black parents and athletes to attend other institutions outside of the state where diversity and inclusion are prioritized,” Woodfin posted Wednesday on social media.

“If supporting inclusion becomes illegal in this state, hell, you might as well stand in front of the school door like Governor Wallace,” he continued. “Mannnn it’s Black History Month. Y’all could have at least waited until March 1.”

Great imagery, witty and appropriate BHM callout (low-key wish I’d thought of it first).

Alas, he didn’t go far enough.

If the still dumbfounding and unnecessary bill (with a bathroom provision, no less, exactly who will enforce?) becomes law and fells offices of diversity, equity, and inclusion at public institutions will tell every student of color and every LBGTQ student considering coming to college here: We don’t want you. We don’t want you to feel welcomed and safe on our campuses.

We don’t want you to feel seen. Or heard.

Because we don’t value the folks who now spend each day ensuring you feel welcomed, safe, seen, and heard. So, we fired them, snatched their livelihoods from them, choked their ability to feed and care for their families because, well, we can’t really tell you—not specifically.

Just that what they’re doing makes us (white Republicans) feel bad, dang it.

In a tearful video posted on social media, lobbyist Akiesha Anderson, a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, shared how UA’s DEI office “made her feel safer in what felt like a very unsafe space” after she and another student received a death threat after peacefully protesting in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd by sitting during the national anthem at a football game.

“The campus police were basically no help,” she said. “They said it was basically my fault…. that I should have known better, that I incited, that I agitated others and I should have expected something like this would happen.”

Watch the video and tell me again how students will be better off—will be safer—without DEI offices.

“I’m terrified for future students of color that attend our state institutions (namely our PWIs) in the aftermath of the potential passage of SB 129,” she wrote.

I’ll go even further—and this is a real kick. The law will tell every student at our institutions: We don’t want you to win. We don’t want to empower you with the tools to thrive in your career, to conquer in a world where diversity, equity, and inclusion are still valued, still deeply embedded in the fabric of success with most employers.

With those that are winning.

That are hiring the best talent (because they expand their hiring pool beyond historically traditional spaces) and retaining them by being intentional about ensuring all of them are valued, welcomed, safe, seen, and heard.

Even as those very human traits are under attack by Republicans who’d rather remain deaf, dumb, and blind to them. Mute, too.

Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban recently swatted at DEI-hater Elon Musk and others who spew false, baseless arguments against diversity, inclusion, and equity.

“DEI does not mean you don’t hire on merit,” Cuban wrote on social media. “Of course, you hire based on merit. Diversity – means you expand the possible pool of candidates as widely as you can. Once you have identified the candidates, you HIRE THE PERSON YOU BELIEVE IS THE BEST.”

“Equity is a core principle of business. Put your employees in a position to succeed. Recognize their differences and play to their strengths where…”

Win.

But our college students won’t learn that if SV129 becomes law. Not here.

JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon described himself to an audience last month, according to Fortune.com, as a “a full-throated, red-blooded, patriotic, unwoke, capitalist CEO” who was standing firm on the company’s diversity efforts despite “ridiculous ESG, DEI groups coming at us.”

Among the practices, the world’s largest bank meticulously tracks how executives are measured to ensure Blacks aren’t held to a different standard that may impact their promotion. Also, JP Morgan now recruits at 26 HBCUs where it once only sought graduates from Howard, Spelman and Clark Atlanta University.

“You learn, and you reach out,” Dimon said to the group. “We’re hiring great kids from these places who wanna work, give a damn, want a job, wanna work hard, and wanna get ahead. God bless ‘em—and they’re gonna get a chance at JPMorgan regardless of color.”

Win.

So, while the mayor tells Black parents and athletes that Alabama doesn’t want them to feel welcomed, seen, or heard—just shut up and play–I’ll gladly tell all parents and potential students to go where diversity, equity, and inclusion are valued and embraced.

Not here.

Where you will learn to win in spaces where they are highly valued and embraced.

Not here.

We saw this coming, of course. After the Republican governor in my home state Oklahoma gleefully planted its anti-DEI flag late last year, it was just a matter of time before our copy-cat Republicans would cut and paste that fear-based ignorance. Hello, SB129.

On Thursday, the State senate wasted almost six hours of taxpayer time dissecting, debating, diffusing (to at least some extent) and ultimately passing a bill that addressed…nothing vital.

Did not address a single challenge confronting the preponderance of Alabamians.

Oh, if they spent that much time on expanding Medicare to working families. On making childcare more affordable for working families. On better educating our children.

On attracting more firms to build and grow here, more dreamers to dream here. On getting us out of 50th place regarding access to quality mental healthcare.

On elevating Alabamians’ lives, not shoving them—who they are—into a dark cave where they don’t have to be welcomed, seen, or heard.

At the end of that day, Republican State Sen. Greg Reed (Jasper), the upper chamber’s president pro tempore, punctuated the fray with divinity, until he didn’t.

“We are all made in God’s image, and our unique qualities should be celebrated,” he began. “However, …”

Yeah, that’s exactly how you lose.

I’m a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. My column appears on AL.com, as well as the Lede. Tell me what you think at [email protected], and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj