The repercussions of another Trump administration continues to become more evident. On Nov. 12, President-elect Trump took aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts while furthering his attack on the Department of Education.
In Trump’s eyes, DEI is a form of racial discrimination.
In a video, Trump claimed that he will “pursue federal civil rights cases against schools that continue to engage in racial discrimination and schools that persist in explicit unlawful discrimination under the guise of equity.”
He said that he would tax the endowments of schools that implement racial equity work and fine them. The money from the fines will then go to “victims” of the alleged discrimination by saying a “portion of the seized funds will then be used as restitution for victims of these illegal and unjust policies, policies that hurt our country so badly.”
Although he never mentioned the race of the alleged “victims,” most of the lawsuits against DEI have come from groups that claim anti-white discrimination.
The attack on DEI is an attack on Black progression. Diversity, equity, and inclusion was initially implemented to address the historical imbalance when it comes to opportunities provided to underserved communities.
The dismantling of those initiatives will have a negative impact on diverse initiatives from education to business. In terms of education, it could mean an end to Black history education, a decrease in the hiring of new faculty members, a lack of assistance for diverse students, and a decrease in cultural-related events.
In terms of business, the dismantling of DEI could destroy initiatives to remedy issues faced by minority business owners. The Fearless Fund was establish to assist Black-owned businesses owned by women. When it comes to funding, Black women-led businesses get less than 1 percent of funding from venture capitalists.
However, Edward Blum, president of AAER filed three lawsuits challenging grant and fellowship programs designed to help Black, Hispanic and other underrepresented minority groups achieve greater career opportunities.
Blum was also the face of the initial lawsuit that led to the dismantling of Affirmative Action. For over a decade, Blum filed multiple lawsuits against diversity programs.
The Fearless Fund eventually decided to settle with Blum so that the lawsuit would not set a precedents for the future of funding to diverse business owners.
While Trump seeks to destroy DEI, he has yet to admit how disparities continues to exist in every sector of American society.
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