On January 20th, President Trump signed an executive order terminating “illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.” Since then, companies such as Target, Ford, Lowe’s, and McDonald’s have eliminated or scaled back their DEI programs. Trump’s declaration on terminating DEI programs has influenced Indiana Governor Mike Braun to terminate DEI within Indiana’s government. 

Braun also denied funding to Martin University, a predominantly black institution in Indianapolis. As of February 4th, Governor Braun had met with black faith leaders to discuss funding for Martin University.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have been achieved by educating others and eliminating bias in the workplace and school system. DEI has allowed inclusivity to be accepted and respected by people from all backgrounds. However, the President’s decision to terminate DEI will affect multiple communities that have historically benefited from it. DEI programs have supported not only black and brown communities but also marginalized communities such as veterans, disabled people, white women, and the LGBTQ+ community. 

On February 18th, the Trump administration announced that schools and universities have two weeks to end DEI programs. The Education Department delivered an ultimatum, stating that schools that receive government funding would lose federal money if they did not end all programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. This order affects not only institutions that consider race in hiring decisions and scholarships but also institutions that have fraternities and sororities that are targeted at students of certain ethnicities or races. 

A primary concern many are wondering is how this order will affect HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities). It is already a problem that the government barely funds those institutions, but these institutions prioritize DEI by allowing black students the opportunity to receive post-secondary education.