By April Ryan
“He [President Trump] is sanctioning…employment discrimination,” says Marc Morial the President and CEO of the National Urban League. Morial said he has talked to McDonald’s executives who recently dropped their DEI efforts as well as Walmart and he stepped off an unofficial board of Facebook as they moved to end DEI without consulting with that board. Morial made these statements on the Black Press USA show Make it Plain.
He spoke on the cancellation of diversity equity and inclusion through a new executive order signed in the first days of this new Trump administration.
The Trump EO focuses on the word “merit” as the new hiring protocol. The definition of merit the administration is adhering to is people selected based on their ability. For the companies and federal agencies embracing the executive order Moral expressed “we have to judge you on your results.” According to the Urban League stats the current American workforce of those under the age of 40 is made up of more women than it is men. Also, the workforce under the age of 40 is half white and the other half is made up of nonwhite workers. “When you start excluding people from these businesses who will do the work,” questioned the head of the rights group.
The National Urban League this week led a roundtable discussion with other heads of civil rights groups and leaders from other racially diverse communities on the challenge of DEI in governmental departments and private sector businesses. The leaders particularly Morial were anticipating the cancellation of DEI in the federal government and private sector business is not a surprise as “Project 2025 telegraphed all these things would happen.” Morial has talked to companies who have publicly said they are walking away from DEI. “Some are trying to have it both ways… as some have stepped away [from DEI] completely. “When asked if the coalition of leaders would meet with President Trump, Morial emphasized substance over a photo op saying, “we are not opposed to a meeting with the president, but it has got to be real.” Meanwhile, when it comes to Black buying power, Morial told Black Press USA Thursday that the black buying power in this nation is close to “$2 trillion” and combined with other minority groups it is $5 trillion” the Urban League also tallied the most purchased item by Black consumers in this country, GRITS.