This story was originally published by ProPublica. In February 2020, President Donald Trump’s first education secretary issued a memo to employees emphasizing the department’s policy “to ensure that diversity, inclusiveness, and respect are integral parts of our day-to-day management and work.” “Diversity and inclusion are the cornerstone of high organizational performance,” Betsy DeVos continued, adding […]
DEI
Posted inEmployment, Federal Overhaul, Mental Health, Politics & Policy
Fired, Rehired, Fired Again. Massive Federal Cuts Leave Black Workers Reeling.
Federal Overhaul is a multipart series that explores the impact of the Trump administration’s restructuring of the federal government on Black communities. Regina Fuller-White had been applying for various roles at the United States Agency for International Development for more than a year, filling out applications whenever a new position opened up only to hear […]
Posted inHigher Education, Politics & Policy
Harvard Fights Trump in Court. Black Students and Academics Say The Real Battle Is on Campus
A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to revoke Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students. The move comes after the nation’s oldest institution of higher learning requested a temporary restraining order against the federal government’s action. Harvard filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration earlier Friday. In the suit, the school […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Carla Hayden Made the Library of Congress More Inclusive. Then She Was Fired for It.
The nation’s first African American Librarian of Congress was the latest person to get fired by President Donald Trump, a move that librarians say could stymie progress in making the nation’s library more accessible and inclusive. Carla Hayden’s firing on May 8 was met with fierce backlash from mainly Democrats, who tied the longtime librarian’s […]
Posted inClimate Change, Criminal Justice, Environmental Justice, Health Equity
The End of DEI: What Trump’s Executive Orders Mean for Black Americans
President Donald Trump has spent the early months of his return to the White House dismantling the nation’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The moves, he’s said, are designed to forge a “color-blind” society that rejects the sorts of race-conscious programs that are intended to make amends for the historical wrongs experienced by Black Americans […]
Posted inMaternal Health, Partner Content
Fate of Black Maternal Health Programs Is Unclear Amid Federal Cuts
Eboni Tomasek expected to take home her newborn the day after he was born in a San Jose, California, hospital. But, without explanation, hospital staff said they needed to stay a second night. Then a third. A nurse said her son had jaundice. Then said that he didn’t. She wondered if they had confused her […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice
Rural Alabamians Lived With Poop-Filled Water for Decades. Trump Just Killed Plans For Relief.
Last April, Sherry Bradley and the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program helped rural Alabama resident Willie Perryman install a septic system in his home for the first time. Since his grandfather purchased the land and homestead more than six decades ago, none of the family’s properties had a proper disposal system for their waste. Thousands […]
Posted inClimate Change, Rural Issues
With Southern Utilities Quietly Dismantling DEI Programs, Black Households Pay the Price
When Chris Womack became the first Black CEO of Southern Co. in 2023, he called the company’s commitment to racial equity one of his guiding principles. His leadership of the third-largest private utility company in the world offered hope of fairer wages and more representative employment for thousands of Black employees and cleaner air and […]
Posted inEducation, Higher Education
Inside One Student Movement to Save DEI on College Campuses
Bradley Price traveled to the Kentucky governor’s office to show her support for the veto of an anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion bill. Alexandria Underwood took part in a letter-writing campaign calling for the preservation of inclusion programs on college campuses. And Savannah Dowell organized a demonstration in support of anti-discrimination efforts at Kentucky colleges and […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
What Trump’s Cabinet Picks Mean for Black Americans as Hearings Continue
President Donald Trump’s picks for key positions in his second administration continue their Senate confirmation hearings, which began on Jan. 14. Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for Secretary of the Department of State, was the first to win confirmation, gliding through the process. On the other hand, Pete Hegseth, selected to be the Secretary of the […]
