The Trump administration’s civil rights policies dismantled affirmative action, revoked DEI initiatives, and rolled back segregation bans for federal contractors. Executive orders weakened protections against police bias, hate crimes, and discriminatory housing practices, leading to a 60% decline in DOJ civil rights cases. HUD suspended the AFFH rule, and the Education Department cut OCR staff, compromising fair housing enforcement and educational equity for marginalized communities. (AI-Generated Image).
Trump’s Civil Rights Impact: Policies & Segregation
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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The Trump administration brought significant shifts in federal policy, many of which directly affected civil rights protections and efforts to combat segregation. For Black communities, these changes often meant a rollback of hard-won progress. Understanding these policies is crucial for us to grasp their lasting impact on equality and justice.
The Ax Falls: Trump Dismantles Affirmative Action
One of the most significant moves was the revocation of Executive Order 11246. This order, originally signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, was a cornerstone for us. It required companies doing business with the federal government to not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. More than that, it mandated affirmative action, pushing these contractors to actively ensure fairness in hiring and promotions for everyone, especially for African Americans who had been historically locked out of good jobs (U.S. Department of Labor – OFCCP). The goal was simple: federal money shouldn’t support businesses that discriminated. This opened doors for many in our community. Consequently, President Trump revoked this vital order (DEI and Affirmative Action Programs Blitzed, While Executive Order 11246 Is Revoked).
The revocation wasn’t just a symbolic gesture; it had real teeth. Federal agencies were told to stop prioritizing diversity initiatives. Moreover, contractors were prohibited from considering race, sex, or national origin in their employment decisions, a move that sounds like equality but can ignore existing, deep-seated disadvantages (Trump Revokes Executive Order 11246 Requiring Affirmative Action). The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the very agency meant to enforce these rules, stopped its enforcement of affirmative action. Contractors were even given a deadline of April 2025 to dismantle their existing affirmative action programs (Trump rescinds Executive Order 11246). This weakening of EO 11246 directly threatened protections for Black workers in companies with federal contracts, potentially leading to fewer investigations into discriminatory practices (Center for American Progress (2021)). Historically, strong enforcement of EO 11246 has been shown to increase diversity in these workplaces (Harvard Law Review).
DEI Executive Order Revoked: A Blow to Workplace Equality
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, or DEI, initiatives are designed to make workplaces and schools fairer for groups that have been historically underrepresented. For African American communities, DEI programs can mean more support, better representation, and a more welcoming environment. However, the Trump administration took direct aim at these efforts. Citing “diversity initiatives” as problematic, an executive order effectively sought to ban many DEI programs within federal agencies and for federal contractors (Wall Street Journal (2020)). This was closely tied to the revocation of Executive Order 11246, which itself was a foundational element of federal DEI efforts concerning contractors.
The impact of these DEI rollbacks was felt broadly. Funding and mandates for equity-focused programs dwindled. For instance, some colleges that experienced DEI rollbacks reported less support for African American student organizations and resources crucial for their success and well-being (ACLU Report on Educational Equity (2021)). Businesses that cut back on DEI initiatives also saw a reduction in hiring from historically marginalized groups, including Black professionals (Human Rights Watch (2022)). The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), tasked with ensuring federal contractors don’t discriminate, also saw its ability to conduct audits and enforce compliance weakened during this period, which further undermined efforts to create fair workplaces for us (Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report (2022)).
Echoes of the Past: Trump Segregation Policies Resurface
In a move that many found alarming, the Trump administration rolled back protections against segregated facilities for federal contractors. The General Services Administration (GSA) removed clauses from federal contracts that specifically prohibited contractors from having segregated facilities, such as separate restrooms or waiting areas (Trump Administration Rescinds Ban On “Segregated Facilities” In Federal Contracts). This felt like a step backward, evoking painful memories of a time our community fought hard to overcome. For many, the idea of federally funded workplaces even implicitly allowing such conditions was deeply troubling.
Specifically, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.222-21, which explicitly barred contractors from maintaining segregated spaces, was revoked. This revocation was done under Trump’s executive order that targeted what it called “illegal DEI discrimination” (The Rollback of the Civil-Rights Movement Is the Singular Moral Failure of Modern Conservatism). Furthermore, agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began notifying contractors to exclude equal opportunity clauses from their award decisions (GSA Announces FAR Deviations Consistent with the Revocation of Executive Order 11246). These actions collectively signaled a weakening of the federal government’s stance against segregation in workplaces tied to federal funding, a development that understandably caused concern within African American communities about the erosion of basic dignity and equal treatment.
DOJ Civil Rights Enforcement Decline
Justice Deferred: Civil Rights Division Cuts Under Trump
The Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division is supposed to be a key defender of our rights. However, under the Trump administration, its enforcement activity reportedly dropped by a staggering 60% compared to the Obama era (EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s Justice Department is investigating 60% fewer civil rights cases than Obama’s). This wasn’t just a general slowdown; it included noticeable declines in the enforcement of laws against hate crimes, police bias, and discrimination against people with disabilities. For communities like ours, which often bear the brunt of such violations, this reduction in federal oversight was deeply concerning.
The weakening of the Civil Rights Division wasn’t just about numbers. Experienced senior attorneys within the Division were reportedly reassigned to tasks like handling Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Such moves effectively crippled crucial investigations into police misconduct and voting rights violations (Losing DOJ’s Civil Rights Division). Moreover, the voting rights section itself shifted its focus. Instead of primarily combating voter suppression tactics that disproportionately affect Black voters, it prioritized investigating largely unproven claims of “voter fraud,” even abandoning important voting rights cases in states like Georgia and Texas (Trump’s DOJ to Focus on Voter Fraud, Not Voting Rights). This shift felt like the DOJ was turning its back on protecting our fundamental right to vote.
Fair Housing Funding Threatened
Housing Hopes Dashed: Trump Segregation Policies Deepen
Where we live impacts everything: our schools, jobs, health, and safety. The Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule was designed to help. It required cities receiving federal housing funds to actively identify and address systemic housing segregation. However, the Trump administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) indefinitely suspended this rule and withdrew its assessment tool, which communities used to analyze segregation patterns (HUD Indefinitely Suspends AFFH Rule, Withdraws Assessment Tool). This action effectively halted a key federal effort to promote integration and ensure fair housing choices for all, which is especially critical for Black families who have long faced residential discrimination.
Furthermore, the administration reinstated a 2018 policy that paused enforcement of fair housing obligations for over 800 jurisdictions across the country (How Fast Could the Trump Administration Make HUD, Fair Housing Changes?). To compound these issues, a proposed FY26 budget aimed to completely zero out funding for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP). This program is essential because it supports local organizations that conduct investigations into housing discrimination and help victims (Trump and DOGE Want to Zero Out Critical Fair Housing Funding in the FY26 Budget). Gutting FHIP would severely weaken the ability to fight against the kinds of discriminatory housing practices that maintain segregation and limit opportunities for our communities.
Education Dept. Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Staffing
Education in Peril: Civil Rights Undermined in Schools
Our children’s right to an equal education is paramount. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is tasked with protecting students from discrimination. Yet, during the Trump administration, this office was significantly weakened. Reports indicated that OCR laid off nearly half its staff and closed seven regional offices (OCR Layoffs Undermine Civil Rights Protections for American Students). Such drastic cuts inevitably hampered the office’s ability to investigate complaints and ensure schools were complying with civil rights laws. This directly affects Black students who may face discrimination based on race or disability.
The focus of OCR also shifted away from robust enforcement, particularly concerning disability rights. In one notable example, an agreement with the Rapid City school district to address discrimination against Native American students was revoked following one of Trump’s executive orders (A Gutted Education Department’s New Agenda: Roll Back Civil Rights Cases). While this specific case involved Native American students, the action reflected a broader trend of rolling back civil rights enforcement in education. Consequently, this created an environment where discriminatory practices against all minority students, including African Americans, could go unchecked, undermining years of progress toward educational equity.
Systemic Blindness: Erasing Disparate Impact Protections
Sometimes, a policy might not explicitly say it’s meant to discriminate, but it still ends up harming certain groups more than others. This is called “disparate impact.” For example, if a job requirement isn’t actually necessary for the work but ends up screening out more Black applicants, that’s disparate impact. This legal theory has been crucial for us in challenging systemic discrimination that isn’t always obvious on the surface. However, a Trump executive order aimed to bar federal agencies from using disparate impact theory when looking for discrimination (Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Signs Landmark Order to Restore Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy).
This order didn’t just look forward; it also directed agencies to review pending investigations and lawsuits that relied on disparate impact claims. This effectively halted many ongoing efforts to address systemic discrimination (Trump Executive Order Seeks to Eliminate Disparate-Impact Liability). For African American communities, who often face discrimination embedded in systems and institutions, removing disparate impact as a tool makes it much harder to identify and fight these unfair practices. Therefore, it allows policies that perpetuate inequality to continue, even if they appear neutral on their face.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.
