Less than a week into his second term as President, Donald Trump has managed to tear down integral systems that protected marginalized groups for over half a century. These actions have profound implications—particularly for the Black community—by potentially reversing progress in civil rights and equal opportunity.
In a series of sweeping executive orders, Trump has dismantled federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. He has also attempted to end birthright citizenship for certain U.S.-born children and revoked a decades-old executive order that protected federal workers against workplace discrimination.
The programs that Trump calls “radical and wasteful” have increased representation and opportunities for Black people in education and the workforce through the creation of systems of equity. A 2021 McKinsey & Company report highlighted that the representation of Black employees in U.S. companies has gradually increased due to diversity efforts. In 2020, Black employees represented 12.4% of the workforce at large companies, up from 11.6% in 2019.
DEI efforts accelerated after the 2020 racial justice protests and the #MeToo movement, with many organizations expanding their programs. However, despite the results cultivated, these programs face growing criticism from Republicans and white men for alleged inefficiency, reverse discrimination and ideological overreach.
The majority of federal DEI leaders and workers were laid off under Trump’s mandate, which included the termination of DEI offices, positions, and initiatives across all federal agencies within 60 days, an immediate impact of the executive order.
Trump’s aim of dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the federal government’s employment practices in favor of “merit-based opportunity” has already set the tone for private companies like Amazon, Meta, McDonald’s, and Walmart to do the same. As more organizations follow suit, the advocation for marginalized groups in the workplace will grow quieter.
Trump’s executive order eliminating “illegal discrimination practices” outlined in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 could disproportionately harm Black Americans by dismantling initiatives designed to address systemic inequities. Black individuals, who often face entrenched barriers due to historical and structural racism, may lose critical avenues for advancement.
The same applies to the fight for civil rights in courtrooms across America. In addition to the executive orders, Trump’s newly-appointed Justice Department enacted a freeze on all civil rights litigation, in which attorneys were instructed to halt filing new complaints, amicus briefs or specific court documents “until further notice,” according to the Associated Press.
Memos outlining the civil rights freeze also mention flagging court-enforceable agreements to reform police agencies enacted by the Biden administration in the last 90 days. The agreements were reached after investigations found police engaged in civil rights violations in Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the murder of George Floyd and the killing of Breonna Taylor sparked days of protests and tension between law enforcement and civilians.
The Trump administration’s actions to challenge police reform agreements threaten to dismantle progress made by the Black Lives Matter movement in addressing systemic police brutality. By potentially overturning established reforms, these efforts risk absolving individuals and institutions responsible for allowing police violence to persist. This could hinder accountability measures and perpetuate the very issues that reforms aim to address, leaving Black communities vulnerable to ongoing injustices.
Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are neither citizens nor lawful permanent residents was blocked by a federal judge, who called the mandate “blatantly unconstitutional.” While the order primarily targets undocumented immigrants, it has broader implications that would target Black Americans as it would have essentially challenged the 14th Amendment.
Ratified in 1868, this amendment granted citizenship to all individuals born or naturalized in the U.S., ensuring rights for formerly enslaved Black Americans. It established equal protection under the law, marking a pivotal shift toward racial equality.
Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship could undermine this foundation, setting a dangerous precedent to reinterpret the amendment. Such changes risk eroding protections for Black Americans and weakening citizenship guarantees, disproportionately impacting communities historically reliant on these constitutional rights.
President Trump’s aggressive rollback of civil rights protections threatens to unravel decades of progress toward equity, justice, and representation for Black Americans. Advocates warn these policies risk deepening racial disparities, silencing marginalized voices, and emboldening institutions to bypass accountability.