WXTJ Executive Board Statement on DEI at UVA
To the UVA Community,
As a freeform radio station created by and for students, WXTJ has always and will always stand for inclusion. Our strength comes from the wide range of voices behind and beyond the mic who bring their full selves to the airwaves. We are DJs, artists, musicians, international students, immigrants, first-generation students, LGBTQ+ voices, and people from all stages of life united by our commitment to freedom of expression.
We love that UVA is a place where we get to shape what’s heard and felt on our station. But that kind of space, one rooted in acceptance, is under threat. Across the country, there are growing attacks on DEI programs, efforts to ban inclusive curricula, and moves to punish public universities that support marginalized students.
At UVA, this has taken the form of defunding and outright removal of essential DEI efforts, as well as the politically motivated ousting of President Jim Ryan. We oppose the federal pressure that forced his resignation and what it signals about government overreach in the spaces that matter most to us.
These same forces are coming for public broadcasting and it’s hitting close to home. NPR, PBS, and stations like ours are being labeled as biased or unnecessary, not because they are, but because they tell stories that challenge the status quo. WTJU, our sister station, now faces the threat of losing critical federal funds.When funding and freedom are stripped from platforms like these, it’s the most vulnerable voices that disappear first.
WXTJ will always be a home for those voices. We believe deeply in free speech and the power of diversity, not just as a value, but as the heart of everything we do. We stand with our members, with the UVA community, and with all those fighting to protect inclusive education and public media.
If you care about these things too, support public broadcasting. Defend DEI. Tune in and show up for student voices.
With love and solidarity,
The 2025-2026 WXTJ Executive Board
