The University of Alabama has stopped funding two student-run publications as a result of federal guidance on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs issued by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The decision affects Alice, a fashion and wellness magazine focused on women, and Nineteen Fifty-Six, which centers on Black student life and culture.
The Hill reported that both were founded within the past decade and operate under the university's Office of Student Media. Student editors said they were preparing upcoming issues when they were notified of the suspension.
"It is so disheartening to know that so many of us have put so much work into these magazines that are now being censored," Alice Editor-in-Chief Gabrielle Gunter said. "Alice is what got me into journalism, and it breaks my heart that there will no longer be spaces like Alice and Nineteen Fifty-Six where students can learn to create beautiful, diverse magazines that honor all types of identities."
Gunter told The New York Times the team had been assembling its next edition at the time of the announcement.
Kendal Wright, editor-in-chief of Nineteen Fifty-Six, said she was "deeply saddened" by the university's decision, adding that the publication supported new Black student journalists and helped build campus community.
Bondi's July memo advised institutions receiving federal funds to avoid what the administration defines as unlawful DEI-related classifications. It also stated that the Department of Justice will investigate and penalize programs it deems to violate federal law.
Steven Hood, the university's vice president of student life, told students the magazines were suspended because they target specific demographic groups, which he described as "unlawful proxies" under the federal guidance.
Hood said the decision originated within the university and was not prompted by a formal complaint. He invited the editors to participate in creating a new publication intended for all students.
According to the university student publication Crimson White, neither magazine restricted participation based on race or gender identity, and both employed students outside their focus groups.
University spokesperson Alex House said the institution must align student-media programs with federal requirements while maintaining an inclusive environment
"The University remains committed to supporting every member of our community and advancing our goals to welcome, serve, and help all succeed," House said in a statement to NewsNation. House added that students' First Amendment rights remain "fully intact."
The Crimson White reported that a petition drive is underway to leverage student and faculty pressure to reinstate the publications.
Many colleges and universities followed the Trump administration directive, including, the University of Michigan, which announced just weeks after the Bondi notice was sent out, that the university, which was considered a stronghold of DEI programs, would close its DEI office.
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