by Jocelyn Frye
Americans are witnessing in real-time a full-throated assault on freedom and democracy, perhaps the most aggressive roll-back of civil rights protections in generations. Using loosely defined notions of “government efficiency,” Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their new Jim “bro” culture — think old Jim Crow meets the manosphere — are working to dismantle government, public and private institution’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
In its latest round of bullying, the Trump White House has targeted the legal profession; purporting to go after abuses in the legal system but in reality, threatening lawyers who pursue cases against the administration, help advocates vindicate their rights, or undertake their own diversity efforts. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also sent inflammatory letters to pressure a small group of law firms to release information on internal hiring practices and efforts to promote diversity. No matter that the letters seem to be well beyond the actual authority of the acting EEOC Chair. Following the law was not really the point.
The goal is clearly to use scare tactics to discourage, sabotage, and eliminate diversity efforts in as many ways possible.
The Jim Crow Playbook
This strategy is not new; in fact, it is the latest version of a very old story. We need only look back to the Jim Crow-era, Southern strategy to find the same playbook. This massive resistance was at its core an anti-democratic opposition movement that chafed at the idea of extending to everyone, especially Black people, the principles of equality, fairness, and equal justice under law. Its proponents refused to enforce civil rights laws, prioritizing states’ rights over federal action, and threatened those helping civil rights advocates, such as lawyers, businesses, and clergy.
And it pushed an alternative narrative that rationalized longstanding discriminatory and racist practices as benign, while typecasting opponents as the real threats.
If these tactics sound familiar, they are — with the modern-day version now being deployed fast and furiously by the Trump administration. In a matter of weeks, the administration has rescinded decades-old civil rights enforcement documents, shut down civil rights offices, and fired enforcement officials.
It has pursued an obsessively weird anti-diversity witch hunt targeting any federal worker within shouting distance of the words “diversity, equity, or inclusion.” This includes erasing these words from documents, websites, and materials, even removing mentions of legendary Black, female, Latino, and Indigenous historical figures.
They have argued without evidence that discrimination against whites is rampant and anti-discrimination efforts benefiting other groups are inherently unfair. And they have used this justification to strip federal funding for critical data and research documenting disparities facing communities of color and women.
In doing so, the administration is working to cement a preferential, ages-old hierarchy that keeps diverse communities out — out of workplaces, board rooms, schools, and decision-making tables.
An Attack on Women
For women these rollbacks have occurred at the same time the administration has added new leaders who have leaned heavily on the manosphere narrative that dismisses the relevance of gender bias, questions women’s ability to lead in certain fields, and blames pushy women, childless cat ladies, and women taking men’s jobs for most problems. Threats to progress on gender equity have been mounting as the administration eliminates tools that helped open up non-traditional job opportunities, address pay discrimination, and expand gender-related health research. Their flawed legal interpretations also seek to weaken protections against pregnancy and sex discrimination. This is in addition to unrelenting efforts to limit women’s ability to control our own bodies.
To counter these efforts we must be even more intentional about elevating stories about ongoing discrimination and inequities, including those about women, especially women of color, facing pay discrimination, women being denied promotions due to caregiving responsibilities, and immigrant women working in low-wage jobs while enduring sexual harassment.
We must focus on expanding opportunities for women to access jobs in different fields and leadership roles without questioning their competence because of their gender or race, ethnicity, disability, or any other factor. And we must continue to make the case for robust enforcement of civil rights and anti-discrimination laws while rejecting a culture of hostility that demeans transwomen or any woman because they don’t conform to so-called perceived gender norms and gender identity.
This is not a moment to feel defeated.
The Southern strategy of massive resistance was about more than resisting diversity, it was about protecting a power infrastructure built on racism. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act and so many more sought to provide the tools to dismantle this resistance to create more not less opportunity for everyone.
We should all be troubled by salvos from an administration that believes it is above the law and is quick to threaten the press, political opponents, lawmakers, judges, and anyone who disagrees with their ideas. But this is not a moment to feel defeated.
We must continue to speak out, band together, fight for diversity and equitable and inclusive spaces, protect one another, and elevate joy and love over anger and hate, all while taking inspiration from ancestors who beat back scarier forces trying to deny our country’s promise of equality. Working together we can make that promise a reality by harnessing the rich diversity of talent across our nation to create a future where anyone can thrive.
Jocelyn Frye is president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
