Acknowledgement of student research into the history of Mercer's LGBTQ+ community and the university's long relationship with the Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC) has been removed from The Den, Mercer's media outlet, according to one of its authors, Bekhem Mohn '25.
The research, titled "Hidden Threads: Intellect, Diversity and Religious Freedom," was originally published in spring 2024 and covered by The Den in an October 2024 article. Following President Donald Trump's Jan. 21 executive order axing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the federal government, Mercer "temporarily archived" The Den's article about the project, Mercer spokesperson Jenifer Fairfield-Williams told The Telegraph. The university will wait for further guidance from the federal government, Fairfield-Williams added, before making a decision on the future of the story's spot on The Den.
The news comes days after Harvard University declined to meet demands for change to its curriculum, hiring practices and other tenets of the Ivy League school's student and administrative affairs.
The project, which can still be found online, is a collection of newspaper clippings and letters archived in Mercer's library system that have been contextualized by the students Mohn and their colleagues. Further, Mohn said in an emailed response to The Mercer Cluster's questions, their research can be found in the university's online library system and soon a physical copy will be available at Tarver Library.
Through their work covering Mercer's integration in the 1960's, Mohn said that they were introduced to the university's "historical challenges and progress."
"It felt natural to build on that foundation by exploring other critical chapters in the university’s history, especially those that involve student expression, activism, and the ongoing dialogue surrounding our LGBT+ community," Mohn said. "By looking into this specific area, we hoped to shed light on how students have historically influenced the trajectory of the institution and to continue contributing to the narrative of progress here at Mercer."
Within the nearly 200-page book, Mercer's religious founding, its involvement with the GBC and the university's eventual falling out with the GBC is described in detail. In the days following the breakup of Mercer and the GBC, former Mercer President Kirby Godsey gave a speech to students and faculty about the future of the university. The researchers obtained the speech and transcribed it in their book.
In his speech, Godsey said that the GBC "wanted to know if I would ask the faculty to sign a certain statement of belief, and I said no. But, there was no question about that. So, of course, Mercer will always be open to the discussion of difficult and controversial religious and social issues and that characteristic of the university should not and will not change."
Mohn said that they do not believe Mercer is reneging on the promise that Godsey made in 2005, and that they have hope the university will continue to support its students, just as it did when it adopted a personal pronoun policy for which Mohn lobbied.
"I hope to maintain my trust in Mercer and that these decisions are to the benefit of students, faculty and staff. I pray for it and for timely communication but for now I want to maintain faith that the right decisions are being made."
Gabriel Kopp '26 is double majoring in Journalism and Law and Public Policy at Mercer University. He has written for The Cluster since he started at Mercer, and currently works as Editor-in-Chief. When he isn't working on a Washington Post crossword, he enjoys going for runs around Macon and reading The New York Times or the AJC while sipping coffee.
