The Trump administration’s latest actions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policy have made headlines for their sweeping rollbacks of programs that promote race-conscious hiring, implicit bias training, and other equity-focused initiatives across federal agencies, the military, and federal contractors. The rhetoric surrounding these changes portrays DEI as a divisive force, but the truth is more complex—and the consequences more significant. While these shifts will certainly influence some sectors, particularly the federal workforce, state and local governments, schools, and independent practitioners are positioned to not only withstand this pressure but to grow through targeted and locally tailored approaches.

At LRFB Equity Consulting LLC, my work supporting local municipalities, school districts, and other organizations focuses on navigating these political shifts while maintaining long-term commitments to equitable outcomes through frameworks like targeted universalism (TU), which uses both data and community-driven narratives to meet institutional challenges. The current federal rollback presents new challenges, but it’s also a moment of opportunity—one that will shape the DEI landscape for the next four years and beyond.

A BREAKDOWN OF THE RECENT FEDERAL CHANGES

January 20, 2025: President Trump issued an executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”, which mandates the elimination of DEI programs within federal agencies and contractors. This order repeals key provisions of Executive Order 11246 (1965), which required affirmative action programs for federal contractors and prohibited employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The executive order also bars implicit bias training and race- or gender-conscious hiring within federal agencies.

Fact Check: This rollback only applies directly to federal agencies and contractors. State and local DEI programs remain legally intact unless broader civil rights laws, such as the Civil Rights Act or the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, are amended—which would require congressional approval, a less likely scenario given the current political balance.

January 21, 2025: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo threatening federal employees with “adverse consequences” if they conceal DEI-related activities within their departments. Federal agencies were instructed to place DEI personnel on paid leave while reducing their DEI workforce by the end of January.

Fact Check: This memo applies only to the federal workforce. However, its purpose is clear: to create a chilling effect, signaling to other institutions—including corporations—that DEI is risky. But this effect is largely symbolic when it comes to local governments or school districts, which operate outside of federal oversight.

January 27, 2025: President Trump expanded the rollback through executive orders banning transgender individuals from serving in the military and eliminating DEI programs within the armed forces. Race and gender considerations are now explicitly prohibited in promotions and training, with the military ordered to review curricula to remove DEI-related material.

Fact Check: This change affects the military but has no legal impact on civilian DEI programs, particularly those within progressive municipalities and school systems.

Impact on the Private Sector: The federal rollback has already influenced private companies. Corporations like Meta, Google, and Walmart have scaled back their DEI departments in response to external pressures. Companies are now reevaluating their approach, with some shifting DEI work to general HR responsibilities or outsourcing it to consultants.

WHAT THESE CHANGES MEAN AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL

While the federal rollback is significant, most state and local governments, particularly in blue regions, are well-positioned to resist and even expand their equity work. Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Oakland have deeply embedded DEI frameworks that will be difficult to dismantle, even under federal pressure. Chicago’s municipal code includes equity commitments that require City Council action to be amended, making them structurally resilient.

School districts, particularly in urban centers, have maintained equity offices for decades. For example, Oakland Unified School District’s 1996 Multicultural Education Policy officially recognized Ebonics as a language and embedded culturally sustaining practices long before “DEI” was a buzzword. These institutional commitments are part of why local resistance to federal policy will persist—and why progressive regions will likely double down on their DEI work.

PREDICTIONS: THE NEXT FOUR YEARS FOR DEI WORK

1. Progressive Municipalities Will Expand DEI Commitments

The immediate response in many blue cities will be to increase investment in equity offices, policies, and programs as a form of resistance. Local governments will use targeted universalism (TU) to frame their goals in terms of both local needs and measurable outcomes. TU’s approach of setting universal goals while tailoring solutions to meet the specific needs of those furthest from opportunity will help municipalities maintain momentum in the face of federal hostility.

For example, in housing policy, a city like Chicago may frame equitable housing programs around economic productivity and neighborhood revitalization—universal goals—but design them to directly address the unique needs of Black, Brown, and low-income residents. TU allows practitioners to code-switch between federal and local environments, tailoring language without compromising substance.

2. Corporate Retreats Will Create a Boom for Independent DEI Practitioners

As corporations scale back their internal DEI departments, they will increasingly outsource this work. Independent racial equity practitioners will be in high demand, particularly for conducting equity audits, facilitating professional learning, and designing targeted interventions. While the private sector may avoid the explicit language of “DEI,” the demand for strategies that address workforce retention, productivity gaps, and demographic changes will remain strong.

This mirrors the period following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, when corporate America initially embraced DEI before retracting under pressure. Yet even during this retraction, demand for practitioners surged, as many organizations sought to continue the work under different labels.

3. Anti-Protest Legislation and COINTELPRO-like Surveillance Will Increase

A Carnegie Endowment study found that 38 states introduced anti-protest legislation after the George Floyd uprisings. These laws, coupled with the resurgence of COINTELPRO-like tactics, pose a threat to DEI advocates, activists, and organizations. Reports from the Breonna Taylor and George Floyd protests revealed that government informants were paid to incite violence and disrupt peaceful demonstrations, a strategy directly reminiscent of COINTELPRO in the 1960s and 1970s.

The extent of surveillance and disruption will vary by region. In cities like Chicago, under Mayor Brandon Johnson, local leadership may act as a buffer against federal surveillance. However, in regions with less supportive leadership, DEI practitioners may face infiltration and attempts to discredit their work. Those advocating for racial and social equity should prepare for heightened monitoring, particularly as the political landscape continues to polarize.

4. Economic Inequality and Racial Injustice Will Fuel Global Resistance—Racial Capitalism at a Breaking Point

The conditions for widespread resistance are being shaped by the convergence of income inequality surpassing levels seen before the French Revolution and growing global unrest driven by racial injustice. As Angela Davis’s concept of racial capitalism highlights, capitalism is not simply an economic system—it relies on the exploitation of racialized labor to generate wealth while systematically excluding Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities from its benefits. Today’s inequality is not just economic but racial and structural. Billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos accumulate wealth at historic levels, while working-class wages remain stagnant, disproportionately affecting communities of color. This widening gap underscores that the devaluation of certain lives and labor is embedded within the system, making it a catalyst for social unrest.

The 2020 global protests following George Floyd’s murder demonstrated how racial injustice and economic inequality are intertwined and capable of sparking mass mobilization. What began as protests against police violence expanded into critiques of systemic racism and global economic inequality. Similar dynamics will drive future resistance, as another police killing, environmental disaster, or mass layoff could trigger protests demanding structural change. But this time, the demands will go beyond individual accountability, targeting the core mechanisms of racial capitalism. Cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Oakland, and New York—home to the communities most affected by these disparities—will likely become central to these movements, where local activism pushes for comprehensive economic redistribution and justice.

THE ROLE OF RACIAL EQUITY PRACTITIONERS IN THIS MOMENT

For practitioners like myself at LRFB Equity Consulting LLC, the future of DEI isn’t about waiting for federal approval—it’s about building resilience through locally driven solutions. By using frameworks like targeted universalism, we can balance the need for measurable outcomes with the flexibility to adapt language and strategies to different political contexts. This work will require partnerships with municipalities, school districts, and organizations willing to prioritize those most impacted by inequity while pursuing universal progress.

The federal rollback of DEI is a test—but not an end. Local resistance, coupled with strategic adaptation, will ensure that the work continues. This moment is not just a challenge; it’s an opportunity to refine, deepen, and expand the role of DEI in reshaping the social and economic fabric of the nation.