Trump’s Reversal of Race and Gender Progress Faces an Obstacle
The Trump Administration’s Efforts to Roll Back Progress
The Trump administration is hell-bent on “restoring” this country to an entirely fictional time when white people succeeded based purely on merit, people of color got ahead solely because of affirmative action and women understood that they were the inferior sex.
A Strong Antipathy to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Trump’s hostility to social progress and civil rights is seeping into every corner of life — the armed forces, college and university campuses, public schools, and corporations. Shortly after he took office, Trump fired CQ Brown Jr., a four-star Air Force general and former fighter pilot and the second Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also fired the highest-ranking woman in American military history, Adm. Linda Fagan, who was commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
A Culture of Discrimination
All had stellar military careers. But they ran afoul of Trump by embracing the fundamentally American ideal that our diversity is our strength. “Any general that was involved — general, admiral, or whatever — that was involved in any of that DEI woke s— has got to go,” Hegseth told the right-wing podcaster Shawn Ryan in November. Hegseth has stated flatly that women don’t belong in combat, and in his 2024 book, “The War on Warriors,” he questioned Brown’s promotion to the top military job.
A Culture of Entitlement
“That is quite a statement from a Fox News personality who was appointed to one of the nation’s most important jobs based on such tissue-thin qualifications as his telegenic qualities and MAGA politics. His shortcomings — including a propensity to drink himself into oblivion, according to numerous witnesses, and a $50,000 payment to a woman who accused him of sexual assault — are forgivable in Trump World. You see, he is a white man who looks good on TV.”
College Campuses and the Backlash Against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
As for college campuses, the hysteria around efforts to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, is the current iteration of the panic that previously enveloped critical race theory, the nearly half-century-old precept that racism has shaped public policy and other facets of American life. And those controversies, of course, followed decades of paranoia around affirmative action, the practice of increasing employment, educational, and other opportunities for individuals who belong to disadvantaged groups such as racial minorities.
Affirmative Action and the Current State of Affairs
The ultraconservative Supreme Court majority put the final nail in affirmative action’s coffin in 2023, ruling that colleges and universities — public and private — may not consider race as one of many factors in deciding which qualified applicants to admit. Never mind centuries of white legacy admissions and Kushner-esque purchases of admission to Harvard. Giving applicants a leg up is apparently unfair only if it advantages people of color.
Conclusion
Trump’s petulant and blatantly racist policies are symptoms of the ongoing American backlash against the social advances of the late 20th century. As white Americans become a minority, as women continue to make strides toward gender equality and have the audacity to stand up to sexual harassment and assault, the white male power structure has shown — over and over — that it will resist with everything it’s got. You think you control your own body, ladies? Think again!
FAQs
* What is DEI?
DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and it refers to the practices and policies that aim to promote diversity and inclusion in all aspects of society, including education, employment, and the military.
* What is affirmative action?
Affirmative action is a policy that aims to increase opportunities for individuals who belong to disadvantaged groups, such as racial and ethnic minorities and women, in areas such as education and employment.
* What is the Trump administration’s stance on DEI?
The Trump administration has been actively working to roll back progress on DEI, and has signed an executive order banning DEI programs in the federal government and directing federal agencies to develop plans to thwart DEI initiatives in the private sector and universities.
* What can I do to support DEI?
There are many ways to support DEI, including boycotting companies that do not support DEI, speaking out against racism and discrimination, and participating in protests and demonstrations to promote social justice.
