Wednesday, 22 January, 2025
As the United States prepares to honour Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of equality and justice, civil rights leaders are ramping up efforts to challenge policies from President-elect Donald Trump that they believe will erode decades of progress.
Trump has voiced his intent to reverse initiatives aimed at promoting diversity, including policies at universities and corporations. He has frequently criticized what he terms "woke" culture—a term used by progressives to signify racial and social justice movements, but which conservatives have leveraged to disparage such policies.
In response, activists and organizations are holding rallies leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day and strategising with state lawmakers to protect vital policies. They are particularly focused on defending social service programs that predominantly benefit Black and Latino communities, as well as opposing corporate actions that have rolled back diversity efforts. These actions are part of a broader movement to ensure the continued advancement of civil rights and equality in a changing political landscape.
"Our concern and our emphasis is going to be on his policy announcements," said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. "We will resist and oppose."
Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
With a Republican-controlled Senate and House, Trump wields executive power to implement policy from his first day in office. However, experts say some actions could be subject to legal and constitutional challenges as they can't override laws passed by Congress and require compliance with judicial rulings.
This year’s Martin Luther King Jr Day coinciding with Trump’s Jan 20 swearing-in is a rare occurrence that's only happened twice in history. The last time this occurred was former President Barack Obama's second term. The second inauguration of the nation's first Black president was viewed by many as symbolic of the progress made towards civil rights.
Dr Bernice King, CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, told Reuters the day will serve as a dual moment to honour her father's legacy of non-violence and unity while calling on Americans to keep up the fight.
"We [have] an opportunity to take seriously what my father has been saying to us as a nation — to hold strong to those ideals that he taught us,” King said. "Don’t forget that they showed us that it is possible to keep moving forward and fighting for freedom, justice, and democracy — cultivating it, protecting it, and advancing it.”
National Action Network founder Rev. Al Sharpton underscored the importance for policymakers and grassroots leaders to reevaluate their approach and unify. "We don't fight without changing legislation. It takes time, but it happens," said Sharpton.
Kimberly Conway, senior policy counsel for the ACLU, emphasized that some Democratic lawmakers have already implemented state mandates to support non-discrimination and equal opportunities. She added, "We're advocating that they go even further with respect to those mandates."
Over the past year, several corporations that initially adopted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices following the 2020 killing of George Floyd have rolled back or scrapped these programs. Walmart, for instance, faced backlash from civil rights activists after announcing it would cut back on diversity policies. This criticism intensified after a group of shareholders penned a letter to the company’s CEO demanding a reversal of the decision.
In response, political lobbying efforts are increasingly targeting corporate actions, with civil rights leaders exploring new ways to challenge corporate rollbacks. Rev. Al Sharpton suggested that traditional organizing tactics, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, could be used to pressure companies by affecting their bottom line. "We're forming a commission that will study businesses withdrawing from DEI initiatives," Sharpton said. "You can follow Trump's philosophy, but it's going to cost you."
Supporters of Trump's proposals, including Camilla Moore, chairwoman of the Georgia Black Republican Council, argue that certain DEI initiatives amount to discrimination. Moore, who is attending Trump's inauguration, expressed optimism about the potential removal of barriers, asserting, "There should not be any barriers between me and a white person from pursuing our dreams."
Despite criticism from civil rights leaders, Trump maintains that his presidency has been beneficial to Black Americans. He frequently touts his administration's record on lowering Black unemployment and passing criminal justice reforms, such as the First Step Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing mass incarceration, particularly impacting Black men.
Clayborne Carson, a historian at Stanford University, observed that major civil rights legislation may not be forthcoming shortly, but that society is at a crossroads. "What we're going to have is a different kind of society," he said. "It's up to us to decide whether it will become more egalitarian or less so."
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As the United States prepares to honour Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of equality and justice, civil rights leaders are ramping up efforts to challenge policies from President-elect Donald Trump that they believe will erode decades of progress.
Trump has voiced his intent to reverse initiatives aimed at promoting diversity, including policies at universities and corporations. He has frequently criticized what he terms "woke" culture—a term used by progressives to signify racial and social justice movements, but which conservatives have leveraged to disparage such policies.
In response, activists and organizations are holding rallies leading up to Martin Luther King Jr. Day and strategising with state lawmakers to protect vital policies. They are particularly focused on defending social service programs that predominantly benefit Black and Latino communities, as well as opposing corporate actions that have rolled back diversity efforts. These actions are part of a broader movement to ensure the continued advancement of civil rights and equality in a changing political landscape.
"Our concern and our emphasis is going to be on his policy announcements," said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. "We will resist and oppose."
Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
With a Republican-controlled Senate and House, Trump wields executive power to implement policy from his first day in office. However, experts say some actions could be subject to legal and constitutional challenges as they can't override laws passed by Congress and require compliance with judicial rulings.
This year’s Martin Luther King Jr Day coinciding with Trump’s Jan 20 swearing-in is a rare occurrence that's only happened twice in history. The last time this occurred was former President Barack Obama's second term. The second inauguration of the nation's first Black president was viewed by many as symbolic of the progress made towards civil rights.
Dr Bernice King, CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, told Reuters the day will serve as a dual moment to honour her father's legacy of non-violence and unity while calling on Americans to keep up the fight.
"We [have] an opportunity to take seriously what my father has been saying to us as a nation — to hold strong to those ideals that he taught us,” King said. "Don’t forget that they showed us that it is possible to keep moving forward and fighting for freedom, justice, and democracy — cultivating it, protecting it, and advancing it.”
National Action Network founder Rev. Al Sharpton underscored the importance for policymakers and grassroots leaders to reevaluate their approach and unify. "We don't fight without changing legislation. It takes time, but it happens," said Sharpton.
Kimberly Conway, senior policy counsel for the ACLU, emphasized that some Democratic lawmakers have already implemented state mandates to support non-discrimination and equal opportunities. She added, "We're advocating that they go even further with respect to those mandates."
Over the past year, several corporations that initially adopted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices following the 2020 killing of George Floyd have rolled back or scrapped these programs. Walmart, for instance, faced backlash from civil rights activists after announcing it would cut back on diversity policies. This criticism intensified after a group of shareholders penned a letter to the company’s CEO demanding a reversal of the decision.
In response, political lobbying efforts are increasingly targeting corporate actions, with civil rights leaders exploring new ways to challenge corporate rollbacks. Rev. Al Sharpton suggested that traditional organizing tactics, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, could be used to pressure companies by affecting their bottom line. "We're forming a commission that will study businesses withdrawing from DEI initiatives," Sharpton said. "You can follow Trump's philosophy, but it's going to cost you."
Supporters of Trump's proposals, including Camilla Moore, chairwoman of the Georgia Black Republican Council, argue that certain DEI initiatives amount to discrimination. Moore, who is attending Trump's inauguration, expressed optimism about the potential removal of barriers, asserting, "There should not be any barriers between me and a white person from pursuing our dreams."
Despite criticism from civil rights leaders, Trump maintains that his presidency has been beneficial to Black Americans. He frequently touts his administration's record on lowering Black unemployment and passing criminal justice reforms, such as the First Step Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing mass incarceration, particularly impacting Black men.
Clayborne Carson, a historian at Stanford University, observed that major civil rights legislation may not be forthcoming shortly, but that society is at a crossroads. "What we're going to have is a different kind of society," he said. "It's up to us to decide whether it will become more egalitarian or less so."
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