Trump wants to dismantle DEI. These advocates are pushing back.
WASHINGTON ‒ National civil right leaders called for a meeting with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders to discuss concerns about President Donald Trump’s plans to roll back programs that support diversity efforts at federal agencies.
“We are deeply concerned about the recent executive actions by the Trump Administration that seek to undo decades of bipartisan support for civil and human rights," the leaders wrote in a letter dated Wednesday. “These actions undermine equal opportunity, jeopardize America’s economic growth and global competitiveness, and threaten the foundational principles of our democracy."
The letter was addressed to Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, both Democrats from New York, and Sen. John Thune of South Dakota and Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, both Republicans.
It comes on the heels of a meeting of about 20 leaders of national civil rights organizations in Washington, D.C., last month to lay out concerns about Trump’s executive order to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“We cannot fight this battle in silence," Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, which convened the meeting, told Paste BN then.
Trump followed through with a campaign promise, signing an executive order last month to eliminate DEI programs across the federal government. Trump and his allies argue the programs discriminate against white Americans.
"My administration has taken action to abolish all discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion nonsense," Trump said at the World Economic Forum last month. "These are policies that were absolute nonsense throughout the government and the private sector."
Trump also rescinded several initiatives that promoted diversity under the Biden administration.
"The injection of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (DEI) into our institutions has corrupted them by replacing hard work, merit, and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy," one of Trump's actions read.
In Wednesday’s letter to congressional leaders, civil rights activists called “deplorable" Trump's implication that DEI policies could have been a factor in an aircraft collision last month that killed 67 people near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The leaders called it a “dog whistle to inflame division and hate further instead of focusing on the needs of victims and their families."
Some groups signing the letter include the National Council of Jewish Women, the National Women’s Law Center, the League of United Latin American Citizens and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC).
At last month's meeting, civil rights leaders argued programs supporting diversity are key to more access for everyone.
“We will not allow a campaign of smear, distortion and intimidation to turn efforts to open the doors to everyone as … some sort of preference program," Morial said.
'It will be you next'
Leaders also warned corporations about following Trump’s lead and ending the diversity initiatives many adopted during the social justice unrest in 2020.
Target was one of several companies to roll back its DEI initiatives after Trump signed an executive order banning them across federal agencies.
Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American institute, said an organization poll showed their constituents were concerned about corporations scaling back diversity programs.
She said companies must commit to providing equal opportunities no matter what they name their programs.
“For those in the boardroom that need to think about what they call this, how about you not worry about what you call it and start leaning into doing it," she said.
Black people make up about 12% of the U.S. population, 19% of hourly frontline jobs and 5% of senior management positions, according to a 2021 report. People of Hispanic origin are similarly underrepresented, while white people without a Hispanic heritage, who account for 61% of the population, represent more than 70% of all senior level positions.
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, cautioned that although the current focus may be on people of color, others are likely to be targeted eventually.
“I would like to remind all of Americans, it will be you next,’’ he said.
Some civil rights groups have threatened to boycott companies that retreat from diversity initiatives.
Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, said his organization is putting together a 90-day commission of civil rights groups to study corporations that make money off Black communities, but have vowed to end DEI initiatives. The results will be released April 4, the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.
“Trump has bullied them," Sharpton told Paste BN.