God, what a wasteful, shameful, and disgusting use of government funding…

Says Donald Trump with a scrunched up, smoldering face as he signs off Executive Order 13985, ending federal Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs. 

You might have heard about this little executive order and thought, “Oh, hey! That’s not great. Why would we end those?” Well, today’s your lucky day. We’re gonna discuss the current state of DEI programs, why equality is NOT equity, and, of course, the hypocrisy of the anti-DEI argument altogether.

In the third sentence of Trump’s statement on his ending of DEI programs (whitehouse.gov website if you wanna check it out). He says:

“The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government.” 

Alright, first things first. Are we like… thinking? Biden expanded DEI to federal agencies so they could better support underserved communities. Why? Because maybe the American people want a government that reflects the AMERICAN PEOPLE. Maybe we’re just sick of picking our representatives from a fucking geriatric golfing team each and every election season. 

Also, let’s talk about his use of “illegal and immoral.” Not that he’d care, but like, Civil Rights Act 1964, titles 6 and 7? Yeah… that’s DEI babe. It literally says discrimination is prohibited in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. This has been written into law for sixty years. It’s not some wacko liberal agenda that popped out of thin air to oppress white people, civil rights activists have been protesting and motioning for DEI programs since before most of us were born. 

Trump goes on to say:

“Pursuant to Executive Order 13985 and follow-on orders, nearly every Federal agency and entity submitted “Equity Action Plans” to detail the ways that they have furthered DEIs infiltration of the Federal Government. The public release of these plans demonstrated immense public waste and shameful discrimination.” 

Go ahead and re-read that sentence, but replace “Equity Action Plan” with “Poopy doodoo plan,” and tell me which one you think Trump meant. I’ll wait. 

All right, jokes aside, these “shameful” and “infiltrating” equity action plans were actually pretty impressive. Biden implemented regular assessments of equity within federal agencies. He created dedicated teams to implement equitable treatment of marginalized communities. He launched an initiative to increase federal contracting opportunities for smaller businesses, with a goal of a 50% increase in these opportunities by 2025. 

That’s all sunshine and rainbows in my world. There is nothing in those plans that screams illegal to me, but you know what does? Labeling a billionaire who’s saluted Hitler in front of a crowd, your “special government employee,” and endorsing his attempt to coerce constituents to vote red in Wisconsin’s election for our state supreme court. Big fat side eye to the man on the podium…

There’s one last thing I’d like to highlight in Trump’s statement.

“Americans deserve a government committed to serving every person with equal dignity and respect and to expending precious taxpayer resources only on making America great.”

Do NOT play with me.

This came from our president. The same guy who spent a record $13.6 million of our “precious taxpayer” dollars on private transportation to his house in Mar-A-Lago. The man who spent billions on military aid to Israel in the war that most Americans are protesting against. I think it’s safe to say that the American people do not want their taxpayer dollars to fund either of those things. But sure, let’s gut DEI programs for “the people.”

Also, Trump called DEI a “discriminatory program,” arguing that it disproportionately decreased white people’s access to a job… 

Vocab time!! So the word equity literally means fairness and justice in how someone is treated by means of uneqal treatment. If something is equitable it is inherently unequal, BUT it is created to make something more fair. Let me explain.

One way to think about it is that those born with privilege, in whatever form, live on this 20-foot platform above those who are a part of marginalized communities. These privileged people have more resources, suffer from less stigma, receive more support, etc… 

Equality would look like raising both platforms 10 feet, but there’s still a significant gap between the privileged and the underprivileged. Equity would be raising both platforms to the same level, thus creating an end result that is, by definition, fair. So, congrats, in Executive Order 13985, Donald Trump discovered the meaning of the word equity. Snaps to him. 

The only way someone can be offended by an institution’s pursuit of equity is if they’ve always lived on that higher, privileged platform. It’s important to understand why those who have always had the power (white, rich men) are also always the ones combating these initiatives and calling them discriminatory. Equality looks like oppression to those accustomed to privilege. Thank you, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

If you agree with me but are still not sure what a DEI program entails, you should know that the basic structure of a DEI program prioritizes education on unconscious bias awareness, microaggressions, cultural competency, inclusive hiring practices, and anti-discrimination laws. DEI was created to facilitate respectful and safe workplaces for a diverse group of people. It’s literally just training in how to respect the diversity of humanity, which, in my opinion, we could never get enough of. 

I underwent DEI training to volunteer in the women’s community, and, genuinely, it was so eye-opening. I loved learning about the different cultures within Wausau and how to take into account the varying backgrounds or experiences of Latina, Hmong, or Black women if they were escaping a dangerous situation. I learned of struggles I’d never even thought to consider, and my privilege as a white woman was practically shoved in my face. 

No shit white conservative men hate it! I was taught the harsh truth of living under a discriminatory and culturally incompetent society, something I’ve never really had to live with.  

Now, I always like to end on a good note, and it’s easy after learning about shit like this to just slam your laptop shut and cry under your covers. Trust me, I get it. 

But please know that this executive order doesn’t mean DEI programs are gone for good. Trump ended these programs for federal organizations, and companies like McDonald’s, Walmart, and Meta have ended theirs. However, institutions like Harvard have been working to combat Trump’s attempts to end DEI programs and cut funds to institutions that don’t adhere to his ideals of education. 

Harvard’s Alan Garber says: “No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue.” 

My point is, there is a vast community of people who do not want to see these programs die out. We just need to be loud enough.

Donald Trump ending federal DEI programs and calling them discriminatory is an embarrassing attempt to regain power he’s lost as a result of a more diverse world. If he really cared about a non-discriminatory America, he wouldn’t have called the coronavirus the “Chinese virus” and actively discriminated against various minorities during his presidency. Anti-DEI advocates are stripping people of the gift that is cultural competence simply so they can stay on top. Educating ourselves will be the force that knocks them down.

Since we may be looking at fewer DEI initiatives in the coming years, it’s essential to listen to stories that may go unnoticed and educate ourselves on the various cultures of our communities. If you’re interested in how you can be more involved, I have some links below you could check out. Thank you for reading.

DEI courses:

https://www.nonprofitready.org/free-diversity-equity-inclusion-courses?utm_

Local DEI resources:

https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/dei?utm_

HillmanTok:

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/trump-dei-hillmantok-university-tiktok?utm_