WASHINGTON, DC – The national racial justice organization Race Forward today issued a statement in response to President Trump’s executive orders, which advance corporate abuse and corruption, environmental deregulation, discrimination of women and LGBTQ+ communities, and dismantle federal institutions through the harassment of civil servants. Race Forward President and Chief Executive Officer Glenn Harris said: 

“The Executive Orders signed by Donald Trump directly threaten the ideals of democracy and justice we strive to uphold. To create a more perfect union requires people of conscience and the racial justice movement must continue to play a central role in ensuring their voices are heard above the swirl of executive orders.

“Public support for racial justice has left Trump with one option, executive orders. His decision to ignore the process of democracy is a direct reaction to the success of racial justice efforts over the last decades. The fierce attack on racial justice is driven by the reality of its eventual success given most Americans support addressing historic inequities and creating a fair society.

According to a poll by The Washington Post and Ipsos, roughly 6 in 10 Americans believe diversity, equity and inclusion programs are ‘a good thing.’

“Attacks on racial equity do not happen in isolation. These executive orders, while targeting different populations, have the cumulative effect of erasing past gains toward advancing racial justice and a multicultural democracy in service of creating systems that ensure the levers of power and wealth are controlled and maintained by only a few. 

“The attack on government employees is particularly egregious.  Harassment of federal workers and the American public they serve, particularly communities of color, harm all communities. Efforts to eliminate federal employees from protections by unions are contradictory to civil servants performing their duties for all communities  without fear of retribution. 

“President Trump’s executive order on gender identity seeks to further endanger trans communities and non-binary people. Likewise, the administration’s attacks on immigration will continue to separate children from their families while weakening the foundations of our economy. The denial of fundamental rights and civil liberties is antithetical to the racial justice movement. One need not be a part of these communities to understand that justice and equity are dependent on the most vulnerable in society. Our fates are interconnected; the struggle is for all. We must remember the words of Ella Baker  “... freedom for all of us rests on ensuring it for the most marginalized among us.”
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