Civil rights leaders vow to fight Donald Trump’s ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ assault on DEI (exclusive)

“I don’t think that people will see the work as criminal in terms of its actual purpose,” Williams told The Advocate. “I think there is a lot of fear being sown because the work is being criminalized.”

Williams, who lives in Virginia with her wife, an educator, and their one-year-old daughter, says that the GOP has intentionally warped the public’s understanding of DEIA to justify rolling back hard-fought protections.

“They don’t realize that they’ve actually benefited from these programs,” she said. “If you’ve experienced a lack of access to a service or if you’ve experienced barriers, DEIA is about removing those so that you can have access.”

Related: These 13 major companies caved to the far right and stopped DEI programs

She compared DEIA policies to something most people don’t think twice about—automatic doors in buildings.

“When we put in automatic doors into places, people assume it’s just to benefit someone who uses a wheelchair,” she said. “But we actually know that kind of measure helps everybody because, at some point, we all need assistance getting into a place—whether we’re holding a box or we’ve broken a leg.”

Williams warned that beyond job losses and funding cuts, the DOJ’s move will have a devastating psychological effect, particularly on young people who are already navigating an increasingly hostile environment.

“There’s confusion among some of our youngest ones who are seeking to understand the world around them,” she said. “If we say our nation believes in justice, then why would we put someone in power who would do us harm?”

Williams also fears that people who need DEIA services the most will be discouraged from seeking help out of fear of being targeted.

Related: What is DEI, what does it mean, and why are companies really getting rid of it?

“Folks in need may find themselves getting more isolated,” she said. “Do I then seek out the services I need, or do I have a fear that if I seek out the services, somebody’s actually saying, ‘Ha, you thought you were coming to me, but now I’m going to turn you in?’”

Despite these concerns, Williams remains resolute.

“The backlash is going to come,” she said. “There’s nobody who’s fought for good who’s just had a clear path to do so. We have to acknowledge that and keep working. That’s why, for me, it’s so important that I keep myself steeped in really loving and affirming community so that when that backlash comes, I’m not feeling like I’m out on a ledge by myself.”

The law hasn’t changed

Despite the DOJ’s aggressive rhetoric, federal civil rights protections remain intact.

The U.S. Supreme Court’sBostock v. Clayton County ruling in 2020 confirmed that LGBTQ+ employees are protected from workplace discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act continues to provide legal protections for people with disabilities in workplaces, schools, and public spaces. With the DOJ directive in place and the White House already pushing for other DEIA rollbacks, civil rights groups and disability advocates are bracing for a legal and political battle.

“This work has always been necessary, and this work has always been attacked,” Williams said. “Nobody who’s fought for good has had a clear path to do so. But we keep going.”

Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Christopher Wiggins