(ThyBlackMan.com) It’s hard to keep up with Trump’s first weeks in office.
President Trump has let loose a flurry of executive orders, policy ideas, memos, promises and outrageous statements that range from pardoning 1,500 insurrectionists to blaming a tragic mid-air plane collision on DEI.
It’s all part of Trump’s age-old strategy: create chaos, confusion and crowded news cycles that distract from the real harm his policies are having on Black Americans.
Take his federal hiring freeze, part of a plan to reduce the federal workforce. Federal workers are a huge part of our economy — in Indiana alone, the federal government employs over 24,000 individuals, including over 4,300 Black employees. President Biden oversaw a nearly 6% growth in the federal workforce to establish a strong and healthy civil service, which is necessary to safeguard important government programs like Medicare, Social Security and infrastructure projects. It also provided solid, good-paying jobs to strengthen the Black middle class — a win-win.
But Trump wants to roll back this growth and cut jobs people rely on — especially Black workers.
His strategy is offering a federal workers fake “buyouts.” This might sound appealing, but don’t be fooled. I do not encourage federal workers to take this offer. Trump is trying to stiff federal workers by offering deals he has no authority to make. When Trump was in private business, he did the same thing: he promised his contractors money that never came. Hundreds of people have filed lawsuits against Trump as far back as the 1980s for refusing to pay them.
The Congressional Black Caucus, which I am proud to be a member of, has rightfully called out Trump for attempting to purge non-white workers from the federal government. He’s manipulating hardworking employees in a difficult economic climate with money when he has no intention or ability to fulfill that promise.
He even released snitch memos demanding all federal employees report efforts to “disguise” DEI efforts or risk being fired.
Many are confused about what Trump considers DEI. These programs are often misperceived as only focusing on race, but they address systemic discrimination and open windows of more equal opportunity that can uplift many different marginalized groups in the workplace, including working parents, individuals with disabilities and more. The Defense Department’s intelligence agency has paused observances like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and other annual events.
Trump also ordered the Department of Justice to halt civil rights investigations and enforcement actions — which is illegal. Despite his flood of executive orders, the law is still the law. Discrimination is still against the law — particularly in the workplace.
Trump’s intentions are clear: he wants to create a monochromatic workforce that is loyal only to him and his extreme MAGA agenda. Federal agencies are not supposed to be political. They are meant to serve all the people. Trump wants them to only serve one person: himself.
While some American businesses have sadly caved to Trump’s political pressure, some strongly support their diversity policies, because “creating a culture of belonging is where everyone can do their best work.” It’s the same with any workforce — practicing tolerance and understanding helps everyone be better, and having a diverse workforce means diversity of ideas and perspectives.
Many Black Americans were not welcomed or allowed the opportunity to participate in the federal workforce, notwithstanding federal non-discrimination laws.
That’s why programs to provide equal opportunities are so important. Black employees accounted for 18.15% of the federal workforce in 2017 and 18.19% in 2021, while the percentage of Latinx employees grew from 8.75% to 9.95%. Yet Trump revoked Biden’s executive order from 2021 directing agencies to draft a strategic plan for prioritizing diversity in hiring and retention — to advance and improve our workforce by adding new, diverse talent.
Diversity is good for individuals and good for business. Black Americans have so much talent and ingenuity to offer. DEI is about giving opportunities to those who deserve them but otherwise would not get them.
I’ll continue to fight Trump’s dangerous agenda, and I invite you to join me by continuing to speak up and calling your representatives and senators on the other side of the aisle.
After Trump instituted a freeze on federal funds on Jan. 28, I and many other members of Congress and leaders across the country called out this dangerous move. The people mobilized — and as a result, Trump took a step back and rescinded the memo accelerating the speed of the freeze implementation. While his executive order is still in place, the pause in implementation is a strong reminder of what can happen when we raise our voices together.
Trump wants us to go away. We will not go away. He wants us to stop fighting. We will continue to fight for fairness for all Americans.
Written by Andre Carson
Official website; https://x.com/RepAndreCarson
