Leftist foundations paid millions to universities to create ethnic studies courses

A new study by Defending Education reveals that, since 2020, various nonprofit foundations have distributed more than $19 million to various universities and educational institutions for the purpose of supporting left-leaning programs and departments focused on ethnic studies.

While some institutions only offer a handful of ethnic studies courses, others such as San Francisco State University (SFSU), have their own departments dedicated to this area of study.

According to the report, which was first shared with The Daily Wire, thanks to these donations, at least 55 institutions in 19 states now have radical educational programs on race, gender, cultural Marxism or the history of Palestine.

Many of these donations have gone to important educational institutions in New York and California, where ethnic studies will soon be a graduation requirement for high school students.

The most prominent donor is the Mellon Foundation, a New York-based philanthropic organization that seeks to redefine the memorial landscape of United States with the goal of reflecting a more inclusive history. The foundation promotes the arts, the humanities and social justice, guided by a progressive vision focused on policies of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

Other donors include the Hewlett Foundation, founded in 1966 by Bill Hewlett, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard which has donated $1 million since 2020; the Spencer Foundation, which has contributed approximately $384,225; and the WK Kellogg Foundation, which has contributed $250,000.

The Mellon Foundation, a mega-donor to left-leaning education projects

The Defending Education study reveals that the Mellon Foundation has donated $8 million to the City University of New York (CUNY) for "the development of ethnic studies."

The foundation awarded CUNY a grant of $3 million in 2020 and another of $5 million in 2023. The 2020 funds were used to create New York's "first dedicated graduate degree program in Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies (BRESI)," which offers a doctoral fellowship that supports research and studies on race, sexuality, intersectionality, decolonial studies and social justice. In addition, it promotes the "decolonization" of educational programs throughout the university system.

"The Mellon Foundation’s visionary commitment to Black, Race and Ethnic Studies at CUNY sets a high standard for transformative philanthropy. Without their timely and generous support, the dynamic and innovative work across CUNY’s 25 campuses would not have been possible," reads a university brochure.

BRESI grants have also been awarded to various far-left research projects, including "No Justice, No Peace: U.S. Third World Student Movements’ Radical Challenge to Reading for Tolerance," “The Queens Climate Justice Fellowship,” “Efficacy of Using 3D Simulations to Support Teaching for Social Justice in the Preparation of PreService Educators,” "Addressing Racism on Campus with Restorative Practices," "Crippling the Curriculum: A Call for a Paradigm Shift Toward Decolonizing the Public University," "Accounting Program DEI Accelerator," and many more along the same ideological lines.

The Mellon Foundation also donated $1.5 million to the California State University (CSU) system for the "expansion of programs in Ethnic Studies — including their intersections with Gender and Sexuality Studies — across university campuses and in collaboration with community colleges."

In addition, according to the report, it also granted Salem State University (SSU), in Massachusetts, $3 million for the "establishment of a national network of regional comprehensive universities that develop undergraduate-focused digital humanities with an emphasis on ethnic studies and community engagement."

Ethnic studies for teens

The Mellon Foundation funded the Ethnic Studies Department at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) with $100,000, and awarded another $100,000 for the "Chicanx Latinx Studies Program" within the same department.

This university is one of the creators of the High School Ethnic Studies Initiative (HSESI), which offers a "curated collection of materials designed to support students and instructors in preparation for the rollout of California’s high school Ethnic Studies graduation requirement." in the Golden State.

Resources presented at this hub include: "Drag Pedagogy: The playful practice of queer imagination in early childhood," “Equitable grading resources,” “Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium,” Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed, “Revolutionizing Education – Youth Participatory Action Research in Motion,” "Teach Palestine," "Abolitionist Feminisms," "Black Marxism," and "Whiteness as Property."