US President Donald Trump ‘s administration on Tuesday has initiated to end affirmative action in federal contracting and directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) staff be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.
This move follow a day-one executive directive that seeks to dismantle federal diversity programmes, affecting various initiatives from training to minority-focused funding. The administration maintains that these programmes constitute discrimination and advocates for strictly merit-based recruitment practices, AP news agency reported.
The new executive action nullifies President Lyndon Johnson’s previous order and restricts DEI programmes for federal contractors and grant recipients. It utilises the same regulatory framework that the Biden administration employed to promote DEI initiatives, but redirects it towards their elimination.
A Tuesday memorandum from the Office of Personnel Management instructs agencies to place DEI staff on paid leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday and remove DEI-related web content. Several departments had already taken down these pages. The directive also requires the cancellation of DEI training and related contracts, with staff required to report any attempts to disguise such programmes within 10 days.
Agencies must document their DEI offices and personnel as of Election Day by Thursday. The following Friday, they must present plans for staff reduction measures affecting these employees, CBS News initially reported.
This action follows Monday’s executive order that criticised former President Joe Biden’s implementation of “discrimination” programmes through DEI initiatives across federal institutions.
This represents the initial phase of a comprehensive campaign to restructure DEI efforts nationwide, including potential Justice Department investigations into private sector practices that critics view as discriminatory against non-minority groups.
What is DEI?
Diversity encompasses accepting and valuing the unique characteristics each individual contributes, including their race, age, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability and other social identity elements, according to CNN.
Equity involves ensuring fair treatment and providing equal access to opportunities for all individuals.
Inclusion refers to valuing every person’s input and establishing an environment where individuals from diverse backgrounds are empowered to share their thoughts and viewpoints.
Daniel Oppong, who established The Courage Collective, a DEI advisory consultancy, explained that DEI initiatives emerged because marginalised communities historically lacked equal job opportunities and struggled to feel accepted in predominantly White corporate environments.
