Trump’s Education Department is backing away from addressing civil rights for Black students

The Trump administration’s Education Department has shifted focus away from enforcing civil rights protections for Black students, instead targeting programs designed to address systemic inequities. Under the current administration, initiatives like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are now labeled as discriminatory against white students, with schools facing funding threats or losing grants if they do not comply. The Justice Department has opened investigations into programs increasing teachers of color in Rhode Island and Iowa, while federal grants requiring diversity considerations have been discontinued. In Chicago, the Education Department withheld over $20 million from the city’s schools after refusing to end the Black Student Success Program, which aims to improve access to advanced courses and reduce harsh discipline for Black students. Similarly, Los Angeles Unified School District’s Black Student Achievement Plan—created after George Floyd’s murder to support Black students with extra teachers, counselors, and Black history curriculum—has faced repeated complaints. After initially adjusting its enrollment criteria in 2023, the district was reinvestigated in 2024 when conservative group Defending Education alleged the program remained discriminatory. The Education Department stated that programs receiving federal funds must comply with laws prohibiting racial discrimination, though critics argue the administration is reversing legal history. Civil rights lawyers, including Michael Pillera of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, claim the policies harm Black students and entire school communities by ignoring systemic discrimination. Meanwhile, the department’s Office for Civil Rights reopened an investigation into LA Unified’s program despite earlier findings of no violation. Defending Education, a conservative group, refiled its complaint after district leaders admitted the program’s core structure had not materially changed. The group insists its goal is to ensure racial equity claims are genuine, though opponents argue the investigations are politically motivated. The Education Department maintains that serving student needs and following the law are compatible, provided programs adhere to anti-discrimination policies.