For Immediate Release: January 21, 2025
Contact: media@colorofchange.org
COLOR OF CHANGE REACTS TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S 2025 INAUGURATION SPEECH
NATIONAL – Yesterday, Donald Trump was inaugurated to his second term as President of the United States, an event that coincided with the federal holiday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. After running on a platform that pinned America’s issues on illegal immigrants, anti-discrimination policies, and LGBTQ+ “agendas,” the fact that Donald Trump’s inauguration speech reused hateful and discriminatory language is unsurprising. However, now that President Trump has been installed into office, his rhetoric is not merely disappointing, it is a signal to Color Of Change that our work is even more essential.
As president, Trump again has the power to damage Black communities through authoritative and executive action. Statements made during his speech only confirm that his hateful agendas, disguised as policy, will not only seek to erase years of progress, but cause additional harm to Black people. However, Color Of Change is poised to respond to Trump’s policies with decisive action.
Portia Allen-Kyle, Interim Executive Director of Color Of Change, issued the following statement:
“The irony of this Administration taking over on the designated federal holiday commemorating the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not lost on us. We will honor Dr. King’s legacy by continuing the fight for civil rights, racial and economic justice and opposing this Administration and its corporate enablers that threaten these ideals. As the Trump Administration turns our justice system over to culture warriors and our economy over to billionaires seeking to rewrite the rules in their favor at the expense of the rest of us, Color Of Change stands firm in our resolve to fight for a more human and less hostile world for Black people and communities.”
While Trump used his inauguration speech to make promises to unify the nation and lead to economic, social, and civil improvements for all citizens, the executive actions he plans to take in his first days in office signal the contrary.
Immigration and Mass Deportations
One of Trump’s primary topics during his presidential campaign, as well as his first presidency, was immigration. Now in office, he plans to abolish birthright citizenship and declare a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, deploying the military and National Guard to stop entry. Mass deportations will be his next course of action.
Black people are all too familiar with the weaponization of government surveillance and enforcement against our communities. Color Of Change stands with our immigrant friends and neighbors in opposition to the Trump Administration’s embrace of cruel and repressive immigration policies. Blocking pathways to lawful entry into the United States and fast tracking deportations will come at a high cost to critical parts of our economy, touching every industry from small businesses to multinational corporations alike. We must resist blaming our neighbors for the systemic issues faced by our families and communities, and instead remain focused on holding the government accountable to promote inclusive policies that move us all forward, instead of divisive policies that hold us all back.
Dismantling Diversity
Since Donald Trump’s win was announced, we have seen a number of companies and organizations roll back their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. These were put in place to increase access to economic opportunities for all members of society who were historically excluded, yet Trump sees DEI as an affront to merit-based hiring. His campaign was also run on anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, particularly dismissing the experiences of nonbinary and transgender people.
One of his first actions will be to end DEI programs in the federal government and establish biological sex definitions for federal workers. Title IX guides will also be revised to include only female and male designations.
President Biden used his executive powers to advance civil rights and unlock opportunities for Americans that had previously been excluded due to longstanding discrimination. With equity and inclusion as policy, Black communities were able to access jobs, build wealth, and strengthen institutions. Elections have consequences, and unfortunately Black communities will live those consequences as President Trump decides to wield his executive powers to cement discrimination as the law of the land. These latest executive actions are just the next move in his Administration’s coordinated attack on Black people and LGBTQ people by attempting to erase our existence and deny our history. Color Of Change will continue to fight to protect Black communities’ access to opportunities promised by the Civil Rights Act and is committed to the long-term work to build power in our communities to do so.
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President Donald Trump planned to sign over 100 executive actions during his first day in office, all aimed at dismantling the efforts of civil rights leaders and racial justice organizations to further his own regressive agendas. Color Of Change will continue to fight for racial justice, regardless of the hurdles put in place by a right-wing presidency and Congress majority.
“President Trump said today that his legacy will be as a ‘peacemaker and unifier.’ Color Of Change remains skeptical given his history, his promises, his loyalties, and track record. However, we stand unified with our community and our allies in the fight for a fairer, and more equitable nation. We will defend the progress of the civil rights movement against corporate power and government overreach – from our tax system to our democracy. The president boldly declared that ‘America’s decline is over.’ To the contrary, here at Color Of Change we fear that it has only just begun.”
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ABOUT COLOR OF CHANGE:
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by millions of members, we move decision-makers in corporations and governments to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org