ICYMI: Ranking Member Scott Hosts Second Forum with Civil Rights Leaders on How to Fight the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Americans

WASHINGTON – This week, Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) hosted a forum with civil rights leaders to discuss how they are fighting the Trump Administration’s systematic attacks on students, workers, and families.  This follows weeks of reckless and illegal activity by the Trump Administration to strip students, workers, and families of their basic civil rights. 

Click here to watch the forum on YouTube.

“Thank you for being here, and thank you for your dedication to the fight in what’s going on in the Trump Administration’s fight against civil rights.  This Administration’s attack on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the federal government has been the worst attack on civil rights that we have not seen since the 1960s.

“The Administration has issued several education-related executive orders that ignore this nation’s history and the continued reality of inequitable educational opportunities.  States and communities have a long history of adopting policies and practices that disproportionately and negatively impact students of color and students with disabilities.

“For example, the President signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, a department created by Congress to protect students’ civil rights.  The Department of Education actually does very little in education— most of its work is civil rights, guaranteeing access to education, equal access to education for students. Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act recognizes that we fund education with the real-estate tax and so it distributes money to high-need school districts to ensure that all students have a shot at getting a decent education. It also helps with achievement gaps in English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.  On higher education, they deal with access. That is Pell grants and student loans. 

“Some of the proponents of the campaign to eliminate the Department of Education talk about state rights. When not long ago state rights were a battle cry of the segregationists, states right have been used as a strategy to promote slavery, segregation, and abortion. But it was the lack of equity, quality, and consistency in and among the states that highlighted the need for a greater federal role in education.

“And as attacks on diversity continue, and we look ahead to the 71st anniversary of Brown v. Board, we are confronted with the reality that this country has strayed far from Brown’s intended goal of equity in education.

“On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the doctrine of separate but equal and struck down lawful school segregation in America. The Court said in that opinion:

“In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education.  Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.”

“Went on to say that “in the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place.  Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” 

But the Court’s historic ruling was not the end of school segregation.  In fact, in Virginia, it sparked the massive resistance, which was the beginning of a long and difficult struggle to unwind centuries of systemic inequality that have influenced every aspect of life and continue to this day. 

“In current events the Trump Administration’s war on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility is not just limited to education.  

“The Administration has issued the executive order, unironically entitled “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy,” to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability.  Because of this, Americans are now more likely to be denied ‘equality of opportunity,’ and subjected to discriminatory practices in education, the workplace, and housing will go unchecked. 

“The Trump Administration is also purging federal agencies of employees who supported DEIA initiatives, culminating in the unprecedented firing of EEOC Commissioners Samuels and Burrows.  Without their presence, the EEOC lacks a quorum and is essentially unable to protect the rights of workers whose rights under Title VII have been violated. And he fired the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Librarian of Congress, and replaced them by people demonstrably less qualified. 

“Lastly, President Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246, which has been the cornerstone of civil rights protections in federal contracting since 1964.  This Executive Order ensured that federal contractors must take affirmative action to ensure that they are not discriminating against workers based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.  These actions ensured that taxpayer dollars were not being used to fund discrimination. But, unfortunately, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs for all intents and purposes has been closed. 

“Despite the President’s reckless actions and the acquiescence of congressional Republicans, we need to assure the public that we are still fighting for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. 

“This is not just a fight in Congress.  That is why we have asked these organizations here today to remind us why civil rights need to be protected and to tell us what they are specifically doing to combat those attacks. 

“Now we are not here to do what I call “celebrating the problem.”  But we need diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility programs.  But we know what this Administration has done, we know what this Administration is doing, and we know what they plan to do. We want to let the public know what we are fight back and how the public can join in that fight. 

“It is now my pleasure to turn the program over to Mr. Chris Anders, the Director of Policy and Government Affairs at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who will introduce our panelists and moderate today’s discussion.”

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