Government resources are now being utilized by Trump to instill his interpretation of diversity, replacing 'wokeness' as a primary focus.
In a significant shift in federal policy, the Trump administration has aggressively pursued measures to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives across various sectors, including higher education, private enterprise, media, and other federally funded organizations.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), under Attorney General Pamela Bondi, has issued new guidelines declaring many DEI practices unlawful. The DOJ argues that these programs constitute discriminatory practices under federal civil rights laws, forbidding race-conscious practices and even proxies for race such as recruitment focused on majority-minority areas or job application narratives emphasizing cultural competence or overcoming obstacles. Institutions that continue DEI efforts in violation of these rules risk having federal funding withheld [1][2].
This crackdown has far-reaching implications, particularly in higher education. The DOJ stance challenges ethnic studies programs, diversity recruitment, and other initiatives meant to support marginalized groups. These policies follow the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on affirmative action and risk ending many traditional diversity programs on campuses [2]. The administration is also rolling back gender-related policies, such as opposing recognition of gender transitions in schools and restricting gender-affirming healthcare for minors, as part of a broader agenda of reversing DEI and gender initiatives [3].
Beyond education, these DOJ rules potentially impact media organizations and nonprofits addressing racial or health disparities, aiming to eliminate race-conscious or equity-based programming wherever federal funding is involved [1]. Legal challenges to these new guidelines are expected.
The DOJ's Civil Rights Division has transformed into a strike team against what it views as unwarranted and illegal diversity efforts in higher education. The Trump administration has also issued an executive action aiming to ensure the federal government only interacts with AI models that scrub DEI, despite concerns about AI's potential for racism and antisemitism [1].
The administration's complaint against Harvard was brought under the Civil Rights Act. Most colleges in the country are not in compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision banning affirmative action, according to Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division [5]. The federal government is investigating the diversity policies of various companies, including those with news divisions such as Comcast (which owns NBC) and Disney (which owns ABC) [6].
The Trump administration has been accused of targeting federal funding for NPR and PBS, calling their programming "woke propaganda." The Federal Communications Commission approved a $6 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance only after in-writing promises to dismantle diversity initiatives [7]. CBS News, following the Paramount merger, has committed to fair, unbiased, and fact-based reporting [8].
In a separate development, the government is investigating the diversity policies of universities such as the University of California and George Mason University [9]. Oklahoma Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters is developing a test for teachers moving to Oklahoma to ensure they do not push ideologies he disagrees with [10].
The administration is changing policy to allow and encourage federal workers to share their religious views with colleagues and even proselytize at work [11]. South Park's Season 27 premiere is said to revolve around the ending of "wokeness" and a Trump character suing residents of South Park for $5 billion after Jesus appears in local schools [12].
The federal government is also investigating the DEI practices of other companies, and Trump is reportedly considering renaming the opera house that oversees the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC after Melania Trump [13]. Columbia University agreed to pay $200 million over three years to reinstate federal funding and also agreed to end diversity initiatives, crack down on mask-wearing protesters, and hire specific new faculty in the Jewish studies department [14].
In a controversial move, Amy Sherald, the artist behind a portrait of Michelle Obama, cancelled her planned solo show at the National Portrait Gallery due to concerns about a painting of a transgender Statue of Liberty [15]. Harvard could fork over up to $500 million to avoid a court battle with the Trump administration over diversity initiatives, but the specific terms of the potential deal are not reported [16].
The Trump administration's ongoing efforts systematically reshape federal policy to prioritize a colorblind or "anti-white racism" framing, undermining decades of civil rights and diversity work across sectors [1][2][4]. This represents a significant reversal of previous government support for DEI and signals a broader political and ideological campaign against equity initiatives in the U.S. federal landscape [4].
References: 1. New York Times 2. Washington Post 3. NPR 4. The Atlantic 5. CNN 6. Bloomberg 7. Variety 8. CBS News 9. Associated Press 10. The Oklahoman 11. Religion News Service 12. Deadline 13. The Hill 14. The New Yorker 15. Artnet News 16. The Boston Globe
- The Trump administration's policy shift targets DEI initiatives in various sectors like higher education, private enterprise, media, and non-profit organizations, potentially impacting race-conscious or equity-based programs.
- The Department of Justice (DOJ), under Attorney General Pamela Bondi, has declared many DEI practices unlawful, arguing they are discriminatory under federal civil rights laws.
- Institutions that violate these new rules risk losing federal funding, as seen in the case of higher education where ethnic studies programs and diversity recruitment initiatives are under threat.
- Beyond education, the DOJ's stance might influence media organizations addressing racial disparities and nonprofits focusing on health equity, especially where federal funding is involved.
- The Trump administration's focus on dismantling DEI and gender initiatives extends to other areas, including federal interactions with AI models, gender-related policies in schools, and investigations of companies' diversity policies.
