The City of Huntsville continues to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies despite a recent departmental name change and a statewide ban.
Randy Barbour is the new director of the city's Office of Multicultural Affairs, which, until a month ago, was called the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The name change followed President Donald Trump's efforts to dismantle DEI departments at the federal level and a statewide ban that went into effect in October 2024.
In January, the city council and Mayor Tommy Battle assured the public that though the department's name changed, its mission has not. Barbour recently doubled down on that sentiment, telling WAFF 48 News that he wanted to create more inclusion and destigmatize DEI.
"I believe DEI has come under attack for fear of the unknown and the uncertainty," he said." I believe that creating opportunities for people to share their stories kind of gives us the opportunity to show how we are unique and we're also sharing some of our similar cultural experiences. I believe we create opportunities for individuals to collaborate and connect when we tell our stories to one another."
Barbour said DEI was a vital part of Huntsville's growth and success.
"When you think about DEI and the attack against DEI, we need to focus on what diversity is and how valuable diversity is for us as a city," he told WAFF." And how diversity from the beginning of our city has been important in how we grow."
Many critics of the name change, including the popular X account, Libs of TikTok, have accused Huntsville of trying to mask its true DEI intentions.
After Huntsville, AL renamed their "Office of DEI" to "Office of Multicultural Affairs", new director Randy Barbour says that "DEI has come under attack for fear of the unknown" and that he aims to create even more inclusive opportunities.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 21, 2025
They’re still implementing DEI, they’re… pic.twitter.com/S2HZ8Dll4k
State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) responded to the renaming, saying the apparently superficial gesture could lead to more legislation to bolster the DEI ban.
"[I]f we see non-compliance, then I would not be surprised to see a round two of legislation to address it," Orr said on WVNN's "The Dale Jackson Show" on January 24.
State Rep. Ed Oliver (R-Dadeville), who co-sponsored the state's DEI ban, said Huntsville's renaming of the department was a sign that "DEI is on the run." When the ban was passed, he said the legislature would be "watching very closely" to see how state universities and agencies comply.
To connect with the story's author or comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com or find him on X and Facebook.
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