Mark Twain: “History Doesn’t Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes”.
Is American history rhyming now – as it did with Lincoln and Kennedy? Is the new Trump administration a replay of the Wilson administration as shown in the chart below? With the KKK and segregation, Wilsom made America White again. Will Trump’s repeal of DEI have the same effect?
America practiced slavery from 1619 until the Civil War from 1861-1865. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves. The Reconstruction Acts required former Confederate states to adopt new constitutions for readmittance to Congress and led to Reconstruction (1865-1877).
During Reconstruction, many Blacks attained prominent positions. For example, my Great Grandfather Francis Lewis Cardozo served as Secretary of State from 1868-1872 and as State Treasurer from 1872-1877 in South Carolina. He led the South Carolina Land Commission to redistribute land throughout the state to newly-freed families. During Reconstruction, advances in compulsory education, land reform, and voting rights were hard won in South Carolina. Cardozo had graduated from the University of Glasgow in Scotland where he studied Latin, Greek, mathematics, logic, and ethics. He served as a clergyman, politician, and educator He later moved to Washington, DC where Francis L. Cardozo High School is named for him and where he served as the principal from 1884 until 1896. Many Southern Whites felt threatened by the educated, politically-powerful Blacks.
President Woodrow Wilson: KKK/ Lynching/ Segregation
President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) was a Progressive Democrat who served two terms as the 28th president from 1913 to 1921. Woodrow Wilson and Race in America reports: “African Americans welcomed his election in 1912, but they were worried too. During his first term in office, the House passed a law making racial intermarriage a felony in the District of Columbia. His new Postmaster General also ordered that his Washington offices be segregated, with the Treasury and Navy soon doing the same. Suddenly, photographs were required of all applicants for federal jobs. When pressed by black leaders, Wilson replied, “The purpose of these measures was to reduce the friction. It is as far as possible from being a movement against the Negroes. I sincerely believe it to be in their interest.”
On 3/21/1915, Wilson attended the showing of the 3-hour film The Birth of a Nation — the first film more than 10 minutes and the first screened at the White House. The film helped Wilson legalize segregation which lasted 40 years. Through the 1970’s, former Grand Wizard David Duke screened the film at Klan meetings. The American Film Institute named “The Birth of a Nation” one of the “100 Best Films of the Century.” The New Yorker 12/13/15: A Hundred Years Later, “The Birth of a Nation” Hasn’t Gone Away.
The film restarted the Ku Klux Klan which terrorized Blacks across the South for decades. The movie stated that the “KKK saved the South from the anarchy of Black rule“. Klan membership surged. The Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. Lynchings became widespread across the South. Many were festive occasions announced in newspapers and attended by hundreds of churchgoers.
For centuries, Black Americans have been subjected to terrorism by presidents, governors, mayors, and police whom their taxes support. In 2018, The Washington Post reported that by 1930, the KKK had 11 governors, 16 senators, and 75 congressmen – Republicans and Democrats. The Post’s 8/8/21 article ‘Lynchings in Mississippi never stopped’ says, “From 1877 to 1950, more than 4,000 Black men, women, and children were lynched in cities and towns across the country.” The KKK was still burning crosses on college campuses in the 1960’s.
Because the federal government had been integrated since Reconstruction, Black federal workers, who were at least 10% of the federal workforce, had built thriving institutions in Washington, D.C. However, How Woodrow Wilson’s racist policies eroded the Black civil service shows that Wilson imposed racial segregation in the Federal government which encouraged it to spread across the nation.
President Woodrow Wilson made America White again.
The Civil Rights Movement
By the 1960’s TV allowed the Civil Rights protests and the fate of Blacks in the South to be broadcast around the world. America was competing with the Soviet Union for the allegiance of African nations emerging from colonialism. When African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana visited the US, the racism they witnessed/experienced reflected poorly on America. So, America had to change.
The Civil Rights Movement led to the Civil Right Acts of 1964 and 1968 introduced by President John Kennedy and finalized by President Lyndon Johnson. That legislation was designed to ensure equal opportunity for Black Americans who had risked so much and fought so hard
Dr. King’s Dream: Meritocracy
Trump was inaugurated for the second time on January 20 which was also Dr. Martin Luther King Day.
In his inauguration speech, Trump thanked Black Americans whose unprecedented support had helped him win re-election. He promised not to let them down and to work to fulfill Dr. King’s Dream. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech shows that on Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. King said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
So, Dr. King’s dream was of a meritocracy and that was the goal of the Civil Rights Legislation of 1964. The idea was that the person best qualified to do a job would be hired regardless of race. At the last minute, White women were added as a “minority” although they are a majority by race and gender and had done nothing to fight for civil rights. That was the first subversion of that hard-won legislation.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion further subverted the idea of a meritocracy because it demands that the government, schools, and corporations hire not only Blacks and women, but LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people. Whether the people were the most qualified didn’t matter.
DEI’s assumption is that Blacks cannot compete successfully. So, the only way to hire more Blacks is to lower standards. So, DEI abandoned meritocracy. That has led to many disastrous results – perhaps most recently with the failure of Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles who went to Ghana and let LA burn. Because she was obviously so incompetent, she was widely criticized as a “DEI hire”. It is now said that “DEI” stands for “Didn’t Earrn It’. The assumption was that she was incompetent BECAUSE she is Black and female.
However, although Governor Gavin Newsom of California proved to be equally or more incompetent in protecting LA from the fires, he was not labeled a “DEI hire”. So, his incompetence is considered personal and does not negatively reflect on all Whites and all men.
Trump Ends Federal DEI Programs
Trump said he signed an Executive Order putting an end to DEI in favor of merit-based hiring and promotion. However, what kinds of jobs does Trump believe Blacks qualify for? During his campaign, Trump’s claim that immigrants take “Black jobs” insulted many Black Americans. The Trump phrase went viral, spawning memes making fun of what people thought he meant by “Black jobs”.
Trump doesn’t care about communities of color Trump’s concept of “Black jobs” are ONLY entry-level or union jobs that unskilled, uneducated illegal immigrants take. Trump’s concept does not include doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, artists, journalists, soldiers, Marines, sailors, pilots, astronauts, Olympic athletes, football, baseball, basketball, and golf super stars, engineers, ballerinas, models, architects, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, inventors, scientists, CEOs, policemen, judges, Supreme Court Justices, mayors, governors, senators , US President, etc.
As Michelle Obama pointed out, Trump was campaigning to get one of those “Black Jobs” – the US Presidency! It looks like Blacks won’t merit many jobs in Trump’s “meritocracy”!
Trump Placed Federal DEI Employees On Leave
All federal DEI employees placed on leave
All federal employees who hold roles in diversity, equity and inclusion programs have been placed on paid leave as President Trump, immediately after taking office this week, signed executive orders seeking to end DEI programs within the federal government. Weijia Jiang examines the response and possible impact of the move. Jan 22, 2025
President Trump signs order to end diversity programs, put federal DEI staffers on paid leave 1/22/25
A memo from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management went to every department and agency, and gave them until 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday to notify all federal employees who work on DEI programs that they are being placed on paid leave, effective immediately. All of the DEI programs across the federal government will soon be shut down.
Did Trump Betray Blacks Supporters?
Donald Trump Won More Black Voters Than Any Republican in 48 Years—Analyst says: “The shift contributed to Trump’s improved margins in battleground states like North Carolina and Georgia, where his share of the Black vote rose by 5 percentage points over 2020 levels.”
Black Republicans feel left out of Trump’s 2nd-term picks.
What Trump’s Cabinet Picks Mean for Black Americans as Hearings Continu reports: “With each announcement of a Cabinet nominee, Trump moved closer to assembling a team of advisers with a long history of opposition to policies that support Black Americans…. Here’s an overview of where some of Trump’s more high-profile picks stand on issues of race and identity that will have a major impact on Black life over the next several years — and possibly longer.”
Infographic: A Who’s Who of All Trump’s Cabinet Level Nominees
Is Trump A Replay of Wilson?
These U.S. Companies Are Pulling Back on Diversity Initiatives 1/24/25 shows that Target, META, Amazon, McDonald’s, Walmart, Ford, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, Brown-Forman, John Deere, and Tractor Supply are also ending the DEI programs now.
The video below explains that Trump went beyond issuing an Executive Order to ban DEI in the Federal government which is being copied by corporations. Trump also revoked the workplace discrimination rules enacted by President Johnson in 1965 with the Civil Rights legislation following the hard-fought Civil Rights Movement.
Trump calls DEI programs ‘illegal.’ He plans to end them in the federal government 1/23/25
Trump’s federal DEI ban echoes Pres. Wilson’s racist segregation of the federal government in 1913
Donald Trump signed an executive order ending what he called quote “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal agencies. The purge echoing the racist actions of President Wilson Woodrow segregating the federal government during his term.
Trump Revoked LBJ’s Affirmative Action Act
Many conservative Black Americans oppose the Woke ideology that is part of DEI. However, Trump went also ended the Civil Rights Legislation introduced by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 to protect Black workers in response to the hard-fought Civil Rights Movement.
On January 21, 2025, President Trump signed a sweeping executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” Trump’s Executive Order (EO), among other things, revokes Executive Order 11246 signed by President Johnson in 1965, which, for the past 60 years, required federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in affirmative action for women and minorities…. Trump’s EO states that contractors “may” (but are not required to) continue complying with the existing affirmative action requirements under Executive Order 11246 for up to 90 days, or until April 20, 2025.
Impact of Trump’s DEI Executive Orders
Trump’s Executive Orders Rolling Back DEI and Accessibility Efforts, Explained
These orders represent a deliberate attempt to undo progress on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and create new barriers to opportunity.
The Trump administration’s three executive orders targeting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives take a “shock and awe” approach that upends longstanding, bipartisan federal policy meant to open doors that had been unfairly closed. In his first few days, President Donald Trump is undertaking a deliberate effort to obfuscate and weaponize civil rights laws that address discrimination and ensure everyone has a fair chance to compete, whether it’s for a job, a promotion, or an education.
With these actions, the administration is not only undoing decades of federal anti-discrimination policy, spanning Democratic and Republican presidential administrations alike, but also marshalling federal enforcement agencies to bully both private and government entities into abandoning legal efforts to promote equity and remedy systemic discrimination. Trump’s executive orders undermine obligations dating back to the Johnson administration that firms doing business with the U.S. government and receiving billions in public dollars are held to the highest standards in remedying and preventing bias.
How Do These Orders Dismantle Decades of Federal Anti-Discrimination Policy?
For decades, federal policies have supported efforts to promote equal opportunity, enforced by administrations from both parties. These policies grew out of federal anti-discrimination laws passed during the 1960s civil rights struggle and have been expanded to guarantee that opportunity was not denied — as it had been for too long — because of one’s race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other legally protected characteristics.
With these actions, the administration is not only undoing decades of federal anti-discrimination policy, spanning Democratic and Republican presidential administrations alike, but also marshalling federal enforcement agencies to bully both private and government entities into abandoning legal efforts to promote equity and remedy systemic discrimination. Trump’s executive orders undermine obligations dating back to the Johnson administration that firms doing business with the U.S. government and receiving billions in public dollars are held to the highest standards in remedying and preventing bias.
How Do These Orders Dismantle Decades of Federal Anti-Discrimination Policy?
For decades, federal policies have supported efforts to promote equal opportunity, enforced by administrations from both parties. These policies grew out of federal anti-discrimination laws passed during the 1960s civil rights struggle and have been expanded to guarantee that opportunity was not denied — as it had been for too long — because of one’s race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other legally protected characteristics.
Yet, in employment for example, properly designed DEIA programs are not only legal under federal and state civil rights laws and longstanding legal precedents; they are also necessary to ensure compliance with those laws. Programs labeled as DEIA encompass a broad range of lawful initiatives that create fairer workplaces and ensure opportunities aren’t limited based on race, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Many of these initiatives are not focused on selecting specific candidates for hire — they aim to create fairer processes. For instance, recruiting at underrepresented institutions or ensuring fairness in promotion criteria helps address systemic inequities without disadvantaging any individual.
These programs are not discriminatory; they are essential to creating environments where everyone has a chance to succeed and addressing persistent barriers for individuals to advance in their careers. Employers must take a stand against this political intimidation and remain committed to opening doors to all candidates, especially those facing unfair headwinds. Legal advocacy groups and state attorneys general have urged compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws while advancing equity through measures that are neutral to race and other protected characteristics. Abandoning these programs risks perpetuating inequality, alienating diverse talent, and violating equal employment laws. Simply put, the federal government should not be intimidating and coercing employers into abandoning their commitment to equal opportunity in the workplace.
What About in Schools and Higher Education Institutions?
The executive orders also target DEIA and necessary practices in higher education institutions and schools. These actions mischaracterize lawful equity programs as discriminatory, aiming to chill efforts to promote equal access in education.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard left colleges and universities with several pathways to advance educational equity. The decision had no bearing on K-12 education, where schools must continue to identify and address barriers to equitable learning environments.
At a minimum, schools are required to comply with federal and state civil rights laws that ensure educational opportunities are provided on an equal basis. This means reviewing policies and practices to ensure they don’t unnecessarily limit opportunities based on race or other protected characteristics. Schools must also work to foster a climate where all students can access and thrive in their educational pursuits. Now, more than ever, educational institutions must resist intimidation and reaffirm their commitment to identifying and removing barriers to equal opportunity.
What Happens Next?
Programs labeled as DEIA encompass a broad range of lawful initiatives that create fairer workplaces and schools. The executive orders attempt to conflate these lawful efforts with discrimination, weaponizing enforcement to bully institutions into abandoning critical programs and taking steps to try to eliminate protections against discrimination by government contractors. However, no court has declared DEIA efforts inherently illegal, and President Trump cannot override decades of legal precedent.
Companies, schools, and institutions must resist the fear and confusion these executive orders are designed to create. Now is the time to double down on our commitment to equal opportunity, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has a fair chance to thrive. The ACLU continues to stand firm against these actions. DEIA expands opportunity in our nation by improving education, helping businesses grow, and giving all communities a chance to thrive and succeed.
Is MAGA Code For “Make America White Again”?
Eliminating DEI isn’t just racist — it’s segregationist 1/28/25
Don’t Believe Trump When He Claims He’s Not Racist 7/11/24
Is Trump Rhyming With Wilson Now?
Many Black Americans opposed Trump because they feared that years after the Civil Rights Movement, Trump planned to erase the gains of the Civil Rights legislation and return America to the segregation of the 1950s. They feared that “Make America Great Again” is code for “Make America White Again”.
With his Executive Order placing all federal employees who work on DEI programs on paid leave and his plan to end all federal government DEI programs, Trump seems to be fulfilling those fears. However, with his rollback of President Johnson’s Civil Rights Legislation, he left no doubt. His claims to want to implement a “meritocracy” provide no reassurance because Trump’s understanding of “Black jobs” shows that he believes most Blacks qualify for only entry-level positions.
Some White Americans also interpret MAGA to mean “Make America White Again”.
‘Make America White Again’ billboard causes controversy. Washington Post 6/23/16: ‘Make America White Again’: A politician’s billboard ignites uproar. Outrage as Trump Inspired Candidate Wants to ‘Make America White Again’. The New Yorker: Making America White Again.
“Make America White Again” billboard controversy continues in Polk County 12/2/21
Why Revoking Trump’s Executive Orders Isn’t Enough To Undo Their Effects“During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump was incredibly critical of executive orders, particularly when it came to then-President Barack Obama’s use of them. “[Obama] just goes along and signs executive orders for everything … because that’s easy to do,” Trump told a crowd of supporters in 2016, going on to indicate that were he elected, he’d work to dismantle Obama’s executive orders. “I’ll tell you, the one good thing about an executive order is that the new president [can] come and with just a signature, they’re all gone.”
And while Trump did overturn a lot of Obama’s executive orders, he also passed a lot of his own. In fact, Trump significantly outpaced his recent predecessors, averaging 55 executive orders a year, compared with Obama’s 35, George W. Bush’s 36, Bill Clinton’s 46 and George H.W. Bush’s 42 orders, according to the American Presidency Project at University of California, Santa Barbara.”
The post Trump: Replay of President Wilson? appeared first on Activist Post.
* This article was originally published here