Amid the flurry of executive orders that President Donald Trump has issued from his new administration and rescinded from previous administrations, a number of his moves have targeted policies meant to fight discrimination. Trump set off alarms by revoking a landmark 1965 executive order on employment discrimination. Although Trump’s move does not make discrimination legal, it is a worrying step toward weakening protections against racism and other forms of bias.

Trump revokes 1965 anti-discrimination executive order

As Blavity previously reported, in addition to rolling back DEI programs, Trump also rescinded an executive order issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 that banned discrimination and implemented affirmative action for federal contractors. Johnson’s order, Executive Order 11246 – Equal Employment Opportunity, states among other things that federal contractors “will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.” Johnson’s now-rescinded order also required federal contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.” Trump’s order also rescinds a number of other antidiscrimination executive orders issued by past presidents, including Bill Clinton and Barack...

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