Trump’s Attack on DEI: Why We’re Not Backing Down

Well, here we are, friends. Just days into his return to power, Donald Trump has made it crystal clear that dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts is at the top of his agenda. Federal agencies are scrubbing their websites, training programs are being canceled, and entire diversity offices are being shut down. And let’s not get it twisted—this is not about ‘restoring merit-based hiring.’ This is about erasing decades of progress in civil rights and creating fear around any effort to level the playing field.

But guess what? We’re still here. And we’re not going anywhere.

What’s Happening Right Now

Trump wasted no time signing executive orders targeting DEI, calling it “radical and wasteful” and pushing for all federal DEI staff to be put on paid leave before being laid off. According to the Associated Press, federal agencies—including the Office of Personnel Management, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security—have already removed DEI resources from their websites. Click on those links now, and you’ll find 404 errors where DEI initiatives once stood. That’s not just an oversight. That’s deliberate erasure.

And it’s not just the government. Private companies are already reacting, either out of fear or because they were looking for an excuse to roll back their commitments to equity. Time Magazine reported that corporations like Walmart, Boeing, and Lowe’s have distanced themselves from DEI programs, with Amazon quietly removing references to Black and LGBTQ+ communities from its policy pages.

This is the playbook: create confusion, spread fear, and pressure businesses into compliance. And while some are caving, many of us are digging our heels in.

Why DEI Matters (And Why This Fight Isn’t Over)

The fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion isn’t just about warm, fuzzy messaging. It’s about fundamental fairness. It’s about making sure opportunities aren’t limited by race, gender, disability, or identity. The ACLU put it perfectly when they called Trump’s executive orders “a deliberate effort to obfuscate and weaponize civil rights laws.” This is about rolling back protections that have been in place since the Johnson administration—yes, we’re talking 1965.

And let’s not pretend this is just about politics. There’s real-world impact here. When DEI initiatives disappear, so do the safeguards that help Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and disabled folks get a fair shot at jobs, promotions, and education. This is about power, and Trump and his allies are making it clear who they think deserves it.

What We’re Doing About It

If you know me, you know I don’t back down from a fight. My work has always centered around storytelling, history, and amplifying voices that traditional media (and let’s be real, Hollywood) often erase. That’s not stopping now.

Through my platforms, including Hollywoodland News, I’ll continue to highlight the history of marginalized communities in entertainment and beyond. DEI is not a buzzword—it’s the foundation of the work I do, from covering the forgotten contributions of Black and Indigenous artists in Old Hollywood to uplifting modern-day creators breaking barriers today.

And let’s talk about representation. Hollywood doesn’t look the way it does now by accident—it took years of pushing back, demanding better, and making space for diverse talent. The same goes for every other industry. If we let this rollback go unchallenged, we risk losing hard-won progress.

The Call to Action

So what now? We fight.

We keep talking about why DEI matters. We support businesses and organizations that refuse to back down. We call out those that try to quietly erase their commitments. We make noise. Because the goal of these executive orders is to make people feel powerless, to make us believe the fight is over before we even step into the ring.

But if history has taught us anything, it’s that we are resilient. They can take down websites, cancel trainings, and rewrite policies, but they cannot erase the work we’ve done—or the work we will continue to do.

And in the meantime, I’ve been picking up my cardio because, in Trump Universe, I need to be able to run—from the cops, for my life, for whatever dystopian bullshit comes next. And for the record, that’s a 7-9 minute mile, by military standards, so 7mph at least. Let’s get in shape.

Trump may want to end DEI, but he’s got another thing coming. We’re still here. We’re still fighting. And we’re not going anywhere.