By Hamil R. Harris
(Trice Edney Wire) – As President Donald Trump signs executive orders to dismantle Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government, civil rights activists have launched an economic counter offensive to preserve programs in the public and private sector.
The Trump White House, bolstered by a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that challenges equal protection clauses in the Constitution, has gone on the offensive to remove race as a consideration in all federal programs.
But Marc Morial, president/CEO of the National Urban League and other civil rights leaders are speaking out and waging new efforts to stem this tide that threatens decades of gains that date back to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Flanked by the leaders of the country’s major Civil Rights organization, Morial opened a recent town hall discussion in Washington entitled, Demand Diversity Roundtable Response to the Administrations Threat to DEI.
“Why are we here today? We are here to stand with the 81 percent of Americans who support economic opportunities, who support diversity, equity and inclusion,” Morial said. “And we stand against any effort by anyone to reverse the gains made the last 70 years….These executive orders are unlawful and unconstitutional. This is not a monarchy.”
The Roundtable took place during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Morial opened the gathering at the National Press Club, saying, “As We come together, his spirit, his philosophy, his teachings and his presence is in this room to guide us today.”
In addition to the National Urban League, the National Action Network, the NAACP and other groups and church leaders have organized various efforts to force companies to think twice about scrapping diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
“This is a war on multiple fronts and we ain’t no cowards,” said Rev. William Lamar, pastor of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church that on Monday hosted a press conference to announce a 40-day boycott against companies that don’t support DEI programs. “We know [how] to respond to that which is evil: apply economic pressure.”
Lamar was joined by Bishop Reginald Jackson, Prelate of the 2nd Episcopal District; former White House advisor Dr. Barbara Williams Skinner and Howard University Law School Professor Sherilyn Ifill.
Ifill, an expert in Constitutional law, said, it is not an accident that President Trump is attempting to scrap DEI programs through executive orders. “The 14th Amendment was created for us.” Ratified in 1868, this amendment granted citizenship to freed slaves.
Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, is leading a 40 day “economic fast,” against Target after the national retailer decided to phase out its DEI program.
“Target needed to be first because they do $12 million a day in revenue,” said Bryant in an interview. “We have partnered with the U.S. Black Chambers in this Target fast that starts on March 3. On the first day we signed up 57,000 people.”
Target pledged $2 billion in investments to Black-owned businesses. But on Jan. 24 the company announced that it would end its DEI initiatives and abandoned that financial commitment.
The Target fast will take place from March 5 through April 17. After the fast, organizers will collect data on its impact and attempt to meet with Target’s board to assess whether to proceed to Phase 2.
Boycott leaders are asking four things of Target:
1. Honor the 2 billion dollar pledge to the Black business community through products, services, and Black media buys.
2. Deposit 250 million amongst any of our 23 Black banks.
3. Completely restore the franchise commitment to DEI.
4. Pipeline community centers at 10 HBCUs to teach retail business at every level.
The next move of the economic fast is to attend the Target shareholders’ meeting on June 12 in Minneapolis, the corporate headquarters of Target which is the same city where George Floyd was killed.
“It is outrageous that the President is rolling back critical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson in a statement, which does not use the term boycott. “DEI programs help ensure that everyone can prosper. It’s clear that President Trump does not value equal opportunity.”
Johnson was critical of President Trump’s efforts that turned back decades of advocacy work in favor of DEI programs. Johnson said Trump’s, “appalling executive order will only worsen America’s racial hierarchy and benefit the oligarch class.”
He said, “This executive order threatens public services that benefit all Americans…It’s an attempt to consolidate power and money to a few wealthy individuals. And poor and working-class people will pay the price.”
President Trump, with help from billionaire Elon Musk, has, worked nonstop to dismantle DEI programs and when an American Alines jet crashed with an Army Black Hawk helicopter killing 67 people, Trump and members of his cabinet blamed DEI programs.
The Congressional Black Caucus was quick to respond.
“Not only are the President’s claims untrue, they also speak to the Republican Party’s desire to divide us as a country,” said CBC Chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) as reported in the Grio. “We are not going back!”
In January, Rev. Al Sharpton and about 100 people part of the National Action Network visited a Costco in East Harlem where they held a “buy-in,” campaign because the wholesale giant supports DEI programs.
“We will stand with those who stand with us,” said Sharpton as walked through the New York wholesale store. About 100 people who participated were given a $25 gift card to shop.
Bishop Jackson said the Civil Rights and faith leaders are forging new bounds to prevent the clock from being rolled on African-American progress. He declares, “This is just the beginning.”
