UTC Civic Engagement (UTCCE) is a newly formed organization at The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (UTC) whose goal is to coordinate with local organizations and educate students to inspire them to become more civically engaged. We are looking for organizations to ally with both locally and across the state. We stand for non-violence, justice, and human rights; this includes supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We are firmly opposed to the anti-DEI laws that our Tennessee legislature has passed: the Dismantling DEI Departments Act (HB 0923 / SB 1084) and Dismantling DEI in Employment Act (HB 0622 / SB 1083). At UTC, due to these laws, multiple important organizations were shut down on October 15th, 2025: the WAGE (Women’s and Gender Equity) Center, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the PRISM Center (an LGBTQIA+ safe space), and the Office of Student & Family Engagement were dismantled. These centers provided safe spaces for our marginalized communities, and many students now feel unsupported or targeted by these laws and their consequences. UTCCE is organizing a statewide protest focused on DEI in Nashville on January 17th. The protest will take place in Centennial Park from 2 to 4 pm. Our goal is to raise enough awareness to get the attention of our state lawmakers, educate the public about the unjust policies that TN state legislature is subjecting them to, and have bills HB 0622 / SB 1083 and HB 0923 / SB 1084 repealed. We ask all students who find any of Tennessee’s education policies to be harmful (not just anti-DEI laws) to attend and advocate for change. Your presence is powerful, but your voices are even more powerful. We are looking for student speakers at this protest. Any interested students can reach us through our Instagram @utccivicengagement or our email at [email protected]. Some other damaging education laws would includes, The Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) Act. This act gives public scholarships to families for private or homeschooling education and pulls vital public funding out of public education and into privately run institutions. Another related and damaging policy is the proposed Tennessee partnership with Turning Point USA to open chapters in public high schools. This proposal infringes on student rights. A different unjust bill, HB 0580 / SB 0623, places restrictions on the teaching of divisive concepts, including whether all Americans are equal. And, the bill HB 0340 / SB 0190 requires virtually no evidence to expel students for one year. These acts and bills clearly do not support or advance student rights and voices, and instead serve to silence the discussion of our basic human rights in schools. This is a calculated move on the TN legislature's part to keep people unaware of their rights as they strip them away. UTCCE cannot sit by while this educational injustice continues to infringe on students’ rights to basic democracy. For this protest, students from all schools and community members must organize their own transportation, but keep an eye on our Instagram (@utccivicengagement) for updates on a possible gas reimbursement fund. If you have questions about attendance, please email us at [email protected]. Please observe UTCCE protest guidelines (posted on our Instagram) to be aware of our requirements when preparing your materials. For updates and details, follow us on Instagram (@utccivicengagement). We understand that not everyone has the ability and/or privilege to protest. So, if you cannot commit to the protest, we ask you to instead find time to host an event to educate your fellow students about this injustice. We hope that you will aid us in sending a more impactful message by organizing with us. If you are interested in organizing together, or have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]. We hope you will join us in the fight for justice! -UTC Civic Engagement A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.