The University of Alabama is ending the publication of Alice Magazine and Nineteen Fifty-Six magazines. Both publications risk putting the university at odds with federal funds for diversity, equity and inclusion style practices that appear to influence content and hiring practices; the editor of Alice noted earlier this year the magazine is for women and "other marginalized peoples," and Nineteen Fifty-Six has been described as "a student-run magazine focused on Black culture, Black excellence, and Black student experiences at The University of Alabama."
WVUA, the University of Alabama's television network, was the first to report the news. According to the outlet, the University of Alabama's Office of Student Media and the Division of Student Life met with staff members on Monday to inform them of the decision.
The school's basis for the cuts is guidance from the Federal Department of Justice. In July, the DOJ issued a memo, "Guidance for recipents of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination."
"This Department of Justice will not stand by while recipients of federal funds engage in illegal discrimination," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "This guidance will ensure we are serving the American people and not ideological agendas."
"It is so disheartening to know that so many of us have put so much hard work into these magazines that are now being censored," said Gabrielle Gunter, editor-in-chief of Alice Magazine, told the Crimson White.
"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."
"I am currently working towards my master's in women's studies where I am having the time of my life studying feminist thought. As someone who has always championed social justice causes both on and off campus, I am so excited to use Alice as a platform for women to discuss important issues that affect us and other marginalized peoples while also maintaining the joviality that Alice has always had. I can't wait for an amazing year!" Gunter is quoted as saying in a social media post by the University of Alabama's Student Media account
In March, Gunter published "A Love Letter to Queer Love." In it, she writes, "Against the backdrop of an increase in transphobia and homophobia across the United States and attacks against Obergefell v. Hodges, there is a foundational aspect of the queer community that is more important than ever: queer love. Be it platonic or romantic, queer love is an essential part of the community as it is an act of resistance against the cis-heteronormativity and prejudices that attempt to tear the queer community apart."
She previously wrote a cover piece, "Caring about Carabiners: The history of Flagging in the Queer Community."
Kendal Wright, editor-in-chief of Nineteen Fifty-Six, told the Crimson White she was "deeply saddened" by her publication's suspension.
Wright was described earlier this year in a social media post as a senior sports media major with an international business minor.
In the post, she said, "I have been at the magazine for over two years. As Editor-In-Chief, I aim to amplify the voices of students of color on campus and serve as an outlet to inform, uplift and strengthen our community. In the current state of our country, it is increasingly important for students to be engaged and educated about what is going on around them and who better to inform them than their own peers. Keeping true to Nineteen Fifty-Six's original mission and purpose, the magazine will remain a resource for them to do so."
"This publication has cultivated incredibly talented and budding Black student journalists and brought our community on campus together in such a beautiful way," Wright told the Crimson White on Monday.
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