Emmitt Smith 

Last  Friday (March 1) the University of Florida announced in a memo that its diversity, equity and inclusion office was shuttered and contracts pertaining to the initiative were severed.

NFL legend Emmitt Smith is warning college athletes at his alma mater, the University of Florida, to use their voices to speak out against the school’s decision to shut down its diversity, equity and inclusion office and sever contracts promoting inclusivity with outside vendors.

Smith is a distinguished alumnus of the university and has remained an invested member of the Gator Nation. However, the school’s March 1 pivot to do away with DEI initiatives is a step in the wrong direction, according to Smith, who, like others, condemned the politically motivated choice.

“I’m utterly disgusted by UF’s decision and the precedent that it sets. Without the DEI department, the job falls to the Office of the Provost, who already has their hands full to raise money for the university and continue to advance the academic studies and athletic programs,” he said in a statement shared on Twitter on Sunday (March 3).

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee further noted, “We cannot continue to believe and trust that a team of leaders made up of the same background will make the right decision when it comes to equality and diversity. History has already proven that is not the case. We need diverse thinking and backgrounds to enhance our university, and the DEI department is necessary to accomplish those goals.”