Death of George Floyd and DEI

DEI efforts gained momentum in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, according to a Reuters report. The killings of Floyd and several other Black Americans led to protests worldwide against racism and police brutality.

In 2021, Biden continued Johnson’s legacy with an Executive Order of his own, titled “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce,” which worked to promote “equal opportunity” and define each term. This has been revoked by Trump.

Some of the DEI works include training on fighting discrimination, addressing pay inequity along gender or racial lines and broadening recruitment and access for underrepresented ethnic groups.

What has Trump done to DEI policies?

Donald Trump’s executive orders has instructed federal agencies to place DEI staff on leave i.e. all federal DEI workers were placed on paid leave and expected to be fired in the near future. DEI programmers have been eliminated i.e. agencies will have to end DEI training, contracts, and initiatives, and take down DEI-focused public websites and social media accounts, according to TOI.
Trump has also ordered the ending of environmental justice roles which means positions and budgets related to environmental justice have been slashed. Agencies are required to review and report all contracts and grants to ensure compliance with the administration’s anti-DEI stance. The order affects more than 400 federal agencies and could result in over 2.4 million workers losing their jobs.

Why is Trump against DEI?

Right from his election as president for the first time in 2016, Trump has come to be seen as representing the backlash from a section of American conservatives against progressive politics and policies. For them, actions such as DEI are discriminatory against white citizens.

Trump administration argues that DEI programmes are counterproductive and discriminatory. A statement from the White House labelled these initiatives as an “immense public waste” and claimed they create “shameful discrimination” in hiring practices. Trump advocates for a return to “merit-based hiring,” suggesting that opportunities should be granted solely on qualifications and performance rather than factors like race, gender, or identity.
DEI staff—ranging from programme developers to training facilitators—are currently on paid leave. They are likely to be dismissed once reviews of federal programmes are completed.