GIVING VOICE TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
02/02/2025
Trump’s war on DEI, Affirmative Action, and Civil Rights
For much of America’s history, systemic racism, exclusion, and inequality were not just societal norms—they were enshrined in law. From slavery to segregation, African Americans faced entrenched barriers that denied them equal opportunities in education, employment, and political participation. The fight for civil rights led to transformative measures such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, affirmative action, and, later, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Together, these policies aimed to dismantle the structural inequities that defined the American experience for marginalized communities. Yet today, these hard-fought gains are under threat. Former President Donald J. Trump’s recent executive order dismantling federal DEI initiatives and affirmative action criteria in contracting signals a significant shift in the nation’s approach to civil rights. Framed as a defense of “colorblind equality,” this rollback undermines policies designed to address historical and systemic inequities—and for African Americans, it represents a sobering reminder that the fight for justice is far from over.
The Historical Roots of Inequality
The foundations of systemic racism were laid long before the civil rights movement took hold. After the abolition of slavery in 1865, African Americans faced new forms of oppression through Black Codes, sharecropping, and later, Jim Crow laws. These systems entrenched segregation and inequality, keeping Black Americans in poverty and excluding them from voting, education, and economic opportunities.
The Supreme Court’s 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the doctrine of “separate but equal,” solidifying the legal framework for racial segregation. In reality, the “equality” promised by this decision was a cruel illusion. Schools, neighborhoods, and public accommodations for African Americans were underfunded and inferior, and barriers to employment and homeownership kept wealth concentrated in white communities.
These systemic inequalities were reinforced by discriminatory policies in housing, hiring, and education that excluded African Americans and other marginalized groups well into the 20th century.
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