Reimagining College Access and Equity for Marginalized Youth: Coalition-Building and Strategizing in an Anti-DEIA Era

Dear Colleagues,

Educational spaces have a long history of being weaponized against women, racially minoritized communities, and people with disabilities (Love, 2019; Martinez-Cola, 2022; Mctaggart & O’Brien, 2020). Landmark cases like Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) of 1975 have increased access for some marginalized groups. Yet, disparities in educational outcomes among ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups persist even with increased access (Shores et al., 2020), demonstrating structural and institutional barriers continue to perpetuate equity gaps (Bowman & Denson, 2021). Additionally, the 2020s experienced a surge in attacks against diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) policies and practices resulting in several substantial challenges presently facing U.S. higher education (Kim, 2021). For example, race can no longer be considered as a factor in college admissions due to the U.S. Supreme Court decision (Students Fair Adm. v. President Fellows Harvard, 2023); DEIA programs have been significantly reduced if not outright eliminated as a result of a presidential mandate (The White House, 2025); and the future of financial aid is uncertain as efforts are underway to dismantle the Department of Education (Tausche, 2025). Also, while the provision of disability accommodations is required by law, as of September 2024, 17 states had filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government. The lawsuit argues that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which protects people with disabilities from discrimination, is unconstitutional (Taussig, 2025). These threats to education foreground the need to reimagine strategies to facilitate college access for marginalized and disenfranchised students and prepare for both anticipated and unanticipated changes.

Given these challenges, coalition-building and strategic planning are essential to ensure that pre-college and college youth receive the support and services necessary to navigate the demands of accessing and persisting in higher education. The purpose of this special issue of Youth is to explore innovative, collaborative efforts aimed at advancing college access and equity for marginalized youth. Contributors will highlight interdisciplinary coalitions and boundary-spanning initiatives that foster stronger, more inclusive educational environments, as well as strategies to address the mental health and wellness challenges exacerbated by anti-DEIA policies and practices. We seek research and scholarly papers that can advance knowledge that is inclusive of, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Mapping and examining the historical trajectory that has led to the emergence of anti-DEIA policies, executive orders, and practices
• Documenting policies, practices, and programs that have shifted because of anti-DEIA policies and the ways K-12 and higher education institutions are still supporting marginalized students despite these changes
• Analyzing the social, political, technological, and economic consequences of anti-DEIA legislation on college access
• Understanding changes to college counseling and outreach programs designed to attract marginalized youth to college and efforts to cooperate with other organizations and stakeholders to maintain channels for information and resource-sharing
• Investigating potential comprehensive mental health and wellness initiatives that provide faculty, staff, and students with access to counseling, peer support groups, and resilience training

References

Bowman, N. A., & Denson, N. (2021). Institutional racial representation and equity gaps in college graduation. The Journal of Higher Education, 93(3), 399–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2021.1971487

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483

Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, Pub. L. No. 94-142, 89 Stat. 773 (1975). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg773.pdf

Kim, R. (2021). Under the Law: “Anti-critical race theory” laws and the assault on pedagogy. Phi Delta Kappan, 103(1), 64-65.

Love, B. L. (2019). We want to do more than survive: Abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational Freedom. Beacon Press

Martinez-Cola, M. (2022). The bricks before Brown: The Chinese American, Native American, and Mexican Americans’ struggle for educational equality. The University of Georgia Press.

McTaggart, N. and O’Brien, E. (2020). White Privilege: The Persistence of Racial Hierarchy in a Culture of Denial. Cognella

Shores, K., Kim, H. E., & Still, M. (2020). Categorical inequality in Black and White: Linking disproportionality across multiple educational outcomes. American Educational Research Journal, 57(5), 2089-2131. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831219900128

Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 600 U.S. (2023). https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/20-1199_hgdj.pdf

Tausche, K. (2025, March 7). Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/07/politics/student-loans-education-trump/index.html

Taussig, R. (2025, February 13). 17 states sue to end protections for students with special needs. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2025/02/13/17-states-sue-to-end-protections-for-students-with-special-needs/

The White House (2025, January 20). Presidential actions: Ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/

Dr. Tonisha B. Lane
Dr. Ebony N. Perez
Dr. Shawna Patterson-Stephens
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• college access
• young adults
• pre-college youth
• marginalized youth
• diversity
• equity
• inclusion
• accessibility
• coalition-building
• strategic planning
• health and wellness