American Pride Rises (APR) is an initiative that’s committed to saving the “American Dream” through protecting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices across the country. Recently, these policies have been rapidly dwindling under federal pressure and critique.
As DEI policies have been eliminated from workplaces and college campuses, college students are rightfully concerned about their universities removing DEI language from websites, closing DEI offices, and banning student cultural groups and organizations.
The APR Tour was launched in March of 2025 to engage and inspire college students, faculty and staff in standing against anti-DEI legislation, providing education in defense of faculty DEI Initiatives, and fostering collaboration among student affinity groups.
This tour’s main goal was to gather student support and petition signatures to protect DEI programs at their schools.
Throughout March and April, the APR team visited nine different universities and colleges—spanning from storied HBCUs to large state institutions—with the goal of supporting students and faculty as they navigate the ongoing rollback of DEI initiatives on their campuses and in their communities. At each campus stop, the tour created an intentional space for students to share their stories, build community, and access the resources they need to defend their right to learn in environments where they are seen, valued, and empowered.
SOZE was hired to produce an interactive, participatory installation designed to spark dialogue, foster community, and drive action. At each campus, students and faculty were invited to reflect on the prompt: “What does it look like to defend your dreams?”
Participants displayed their reflections on a custom built public art installation, transforming each stop into a living archive of student voices, resilience, and hope. To further amplify engagement, branded ‘Defending Our Dreams’ merchandise was distributed as a token of solidarity and a reminder of students’ power to shape change.
SOZE intentionally designed the experience to align with APR’s mission of meeting students where they are geographically, emotionally and politically by creating functional designs that felt familiar yet exciting and relatable. Each activation was designed to create a welcoming, high-energy environment with music, free merchandise, and opportunities for authentic connection.
In total, the tour made stops at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee State, Fisk University; Michigan State, University of Michigan, Wayne State University; Valdosta State University, Fort Valley State University, and Georgia State University.
On each campus, APR + SOZE partnered with a student producer who helped secure high-visibility locations and promote the activation to ensure strong participation and steady engagement throughout the day.
This tour traveled across three states, engaged hundreds of students per campus through activations, and collected nearly 5,000 petition signatures to protect DEI programs. As a tour focused on education and amplification of DEI, we are proud to have spent over 40% of our budget with BIPOC-owned and women-owned businesses.
