Since the beginning of the second Trump administration, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs across the country have been under attack. Inclusivity programs such as Affirmative Action were created to increase diversity in the United States in direct response to the growing recognition of systemic inequalities in the workforce, education, and broader society. These programs were designed to go beyond merely promoting diversity in numbers; they aimed to foster environments where people from historically marginalized groups could not only exist but thrive. The goal was to ensure equitable access to opportunities, resources, and leadership positions across various sectors. The Trump administration, however, has since begun to portray federally-imposed DEI in a villainous light.
On Jan. 20, the White House filed an executive order with the goal of “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” They plan to revise federal employment practices, union contracts, training policies and programs so that they do not implement “DEI or DEI factors, goals, policies, mandates, or requirements.”
This is an attack on historically marginalized communities across the country. From the beginning, DEI was created to ensure that centuries of racism, sexism and homophobia could be abolished. By creating laws that guaranteed the equality of schools, jobs, etc., previous administrations have effectively increased diversity by a large amount. However, President Trump has expressed his dislike for the “anti-white” agenda by continuously blaming recent tragedies on DEI.
In response to the brutal plane crash on Jan. 29 that killed 67 people, Trump blamed the devastation on the Federal Aviation Administration’s “diversity push,” throwing shade on implications made by federally funded DEI programs. These grossly false claims harm diversity throughout the country, causing false claims to run rampant through the minds of government officials and Americans who have put their trust in the current president.
Though the abolishment of federally imposed DEI takes the United States many steps back, activists for marginalized communities will continue to fight until we, as a nation, reach equality.
