President Donald Trump began expanding the Equality Topic program through two executive orders on his first day in the White House. Through these, he also rescinded the 60-year-old executive order that originally implemented equality and diversity programs in the United States.
Details on how Trump is scrapping federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs he calls “radical,” “illegal,” and “discriminatory.”
What are these orders?
Two of the 26 executive orders Trump signed on Monday relate to this. One calls for scrapping the federal DEI program, and the other calls for federal employment reform.
scrap the federal DEI program
In one executive order titled Ending Radical and Wasted Government DEI Programs, Trump declared that the Joe Biden administration had “imposed an illegal and immoral discriminatory program.”
DEI, also known as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, refers to a set of measures and frameworks within organizations that seek to be more inclusive and prevent discrimination against historically disadvantaged communities. .
The core values of DEI are:
Diversity: Acceptance of people from different backgrounds Equity: Fair and equal treatment of all people, regardless of background inclusion: Ensuring that minorities are not marginalized or left out because of their identity
The executive order states that the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), supported by the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), must work to end DEI programs operating within the federal government. Masu.
This results in a formal review of federal employment practices, union contracts, and training policies or programs.
Reforming the federal hiring process
Trump also signed another order on Monday titled Reforming the Federal Employment Process and Restoring Benefits to Government Services. It says current federal hiring practices are flawed and no longer focus on merit and “dedication to our Constitution.”
The order requires federal agency leaders to develop federal employment plans and revise how federal employees are hired or fired, and within 120 days of the order to resolve political considerations. It emphasizes merit-based decisions. The order adds that federal employment programs “prevent individuals from employment on the basis of race, sex, or religion.”
What about the private sector?
As far as the private sector is concerned, on Tuesday Trump issued a separate presidential lawsuit, not an executive order, titled Ending Unlawful Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.
It mentions “encouraging the private sector to end illegal DEI discrimination and preferences” and requires all federal agencies to include up to nine public companies or Refers to identifying other entities.
The lawsuit also said the agency must “investigate” private companies, nonprofits and associations.
What is the 1965 Equal Employment Opportunity Order that Trump is revoking?
“Executive Order 11246 (Equal Employment Opportunity) of September 24, 1965 is hereby revoked,” Trump’s executive order regarding the DEI program states.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Order (PDF) was signed by Lyndon B. Johnson, a Democratic president from 1963 to 1969. It prohibited federal contractors from discriminating in employment decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
It also calls for affirmative action, a policy that favors historically disadvantaged individuals for workplace opportunities. The concept of affirmative action was first introduced by Democratic President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Johnson’s 1965 executive order was opposed by segregationists and Republicans who believed in separating spaces based on race.
This order was signed to prevent employment discrimination against women and minorities. It came amidst the burgeoning civil rights movement in the United States. This marked the emergence of identity politics in the country, following a series of mass protests and civil disobedience against discrimination against black people and women.
In 1964, one year before Executive Order 11246, Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. It also prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In 1965, African Americans were finally granted the right to vote through the Voting Rights Act.
Who are DEI workers?
Federal DEI staff are experts, including trainers in the Office of Diversity. According to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), it is unclear how many federal DEI employees there are in total, the BBC reported. AFGE is a union comprised of 800,000 federal and Washington, DC government workers in the United States and around the world.
Many companies and other organizations ramped up hiring of DEI employees after a white man was killed by a white police officer on the street in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 2020. That’s because “the company sought to explain its commitment to diversity and inclusion,” according to an article posted on the website of Diversity Resources, a Colorado human resources organization.
The White House now says all federal DEI employees will be placed in paid administration by 5pm (22:00 GMT) on Wednesday. By this time, all DEI-focused web pages will also be offline. DEI-focused pages on several federal websites are currently offline and displaying error messages.
How do Americans feel about Day?
In a February 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 56% of U.S. workers surveyed thought a focus on DEI in the workplace was a good thing. 16% thought it was a bad thing, and 28% of respondents were neutral.
“Restoring these programs is another way President Trump is undermining our merit-based civil service and turning federal hiring and firing decisions into loyalty tests.”
“Programs that promote an inclusive workforce ensure that rules apply equally to everyone, and further help build a federal government that looks like the diverse population it serves.” .”
However, opposition to DEI programs is growing in the United States, especially among conservatives. The Pew survey comes at a time when major companies are laying off DEI employees. This is a sign that organizations have also started rejecting such schemes.
By November 2021, DEI roles remained nearly twice as fast as non-DEI roles, according to a report published by New York-based workforce database Revelio Labs.
Between July and December 2022, Amazon, Applebee’s, and X, also known as Twitter, had the largest exodus of DEI workers.
In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court barred affirmative action on the university’s application, concluding that race-conscious admissions violated the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This comes after the nonprofit Students for Legal Advocacy Organization (SFFA) alleged in a lawsuit that Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violated the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This came after alleging that the admissions process violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which discriminated against them. Asian American student. SFFA was founded in 2014 by conservative legal activist Edward Blum.
Following this, many companies have also expanded their DEI programs, including McDonald’s, Walmart, Ford, Lowe’s, John Deere, and Tractor Supply.
On January 3, 2024, Elon Musk, the tech billionaire Trump chose to lead his Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE), posted on X. Shame on those who use it. ”