Trump Says Bye Bye DEI, Hello Merit

By Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, PACE NEWS, Washington, D.C. Correspondent

Since his inauguration, President Donald J. Trump has hit the ground running with the stroke of a pen. He has been on a mission to prove his point and keep his word to the electorate, recently taking the unpopular but necessary step of signing an executive order banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government, calling them unconstitutional. With this action, President Trump made it clear: it was time to stop sugarcoating the inevitable truth that has been in front of our eyes all along. DEI was a front designed to move money into the pockets of liberal elites in liberal cities, while ignoring the needs of the rest of the country—including Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American communities.With this latest executive order, President Trump has bid farewell to DEI and welcomed a new focus: merit-based policies. He’s ushering in a new era where equal treatment under the law is based on individual merit, not quotas.

Yes, Trump says “bye-bye” to DEI and “hello” to a new Federal Hiring Plan centered around merit. Gone are the days of a billion-dollar federal “DEI bureaucracy,” which relied on quotas that have repeatedly been ruled unconstitutional by various U.S. Supreme Court rulings over the last 40 years. These quotas in higher education admissions, employment, and government contracting have only served to distort the market, stifling the growth of individuals who have much to contribute to their environments. Unfortunately, quotas kept the doors closed to many who could have succeeded based on their abilities and achievements, especially when it comes to Black Americans.

The DEI Fallacy

Take, for example, the aftermath of George Floyd’s tragic death and the racial justice reckoning that followed in 2020. In response, DEI programs were put at the forefront of corporate and institutional strategies, with promises to address discrimination, provide employment opportunities, and expand business ventures—particularly for Black American men. Corporations quickly jumped on the bandwagon and made large pledges. A Washington Post article on August 23, 2021, titled “Corporate America’s $50 Billion Promise,” revealed that America’s 50 largest public companies and their foundations collectively committed at least $49.5 billion since Floyd’s death to address racial inequality. This amount is unprecedented in scale.

But in reality, despite these promises, the largest group benefiting from DEI initiatives has not been Black Americans, as intended. Instead, White women have received the majority of contracts, employment opportunities, and university admissions. In fact, 76% of Chief Diversity Officers are White, and 56% are female. DEI policies extend beyond race and ethnicity to include sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and other protected categories under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This means that White men—46% of those in diversity roles—also benefit from DEI programs, despite their non-minority status.

The Truth About Black Representation in DEI

Additionally, many of the Black individuals who benefit from DEI are not descendants of enslaved Africans in America. A significant portion of the beneficiaries are Black people from the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and the African continent. Many of these individuals attended elite institutions and are well-versed in the power networks driving these institutions. These are not civil rights advocates; they are corporate professionals looking to climb the ladder and enjoy the American Dream. For the activists and advocates pushing for Black liberation, their tenures are often short-lived, as they are quickly sidelined for being too outspoken or radical in their pursuit of justice.

Furthermore, the few Black individuals who have succeeded in the DEI world often face tokenism, with their achievements overshadowed by the label of “filling a quota.” These individuals are often highly qualified, and would have been competitive under a merit-based system, but are nonetheless marginalized in a system designed to check boxes rather than genuinely foster opportunity.

On the other hand, Black Americans who require more assistance—those who are less prepared—rarely find themselves included in DEI programs, as the “exceptional” individuals have already crowded them out. Institutions may use terms like BIPOC and other buzzwords to suggest that they are aiding Black Americans, but in reality, they often fail to meet their original goals.

A New Day for Black America

Weep not for DEI. President Trump has done the nation a service by exposing the fraudulent system that DEI has become. DEI was supposed to benefit Black Americans, but in practice, it has disproportionately helped those who were already well-positioned for success, while leaving many behind. By rejecting DEI, President Trump has made a bold statement: Black Americans can do better on merit than through quotas.

It’s time for a new approach—one that values the individual based on ability and achievement rather than predetermined categories. With merit-based policies in place, we can ensure that people from all walks of life, regardless of race or background, have the opportunity to succeed based on their own efforts and capabilities.