President’s Memo Reveals Rollback of Anti-Segregation Protections 

United States: The U.S. General Services Administration released an old memo showing that the Trump administration eliminated detailed bans regarding the implementation of “segregated facilities” by federal contractors. On February 15 the memo became public media attention when NPR released information about it on Tuesday, as reported by Reuters. 

What the Policy Change Means 

In his initial 58-day tenure as president Donald Trump launched a campaign to destroy diversity programs which operated within both the public sector and private industry. Through executive action the administration canceled essential points from the 1965 regulation dedicated to fighting discrimination in government contracting workplaces. 

The order established requirements for hiring equality and forbidden segregation in workplace areas like waiting rooms as well as restaurants and drinking fountains. President Trump’s administration through its policy shift forced civil agencies to remove the “Prohibition of Segregated Facilities” clause from all newly issued contracts and bidding requests. 

Key Quote 

The memo explicitly states: 

“When issuing new solicitations or contracts, civil agencies should no longer include the provision and clause about the ‘Prohibition of Segregated Facilities.’” 

Concerns from Civil Rights Advocates 

Although federal laws still prohibit discrimination and segregation, the removal of this long-standing clause has raised alarm among civil rights groups. Critics argue that even symbolic changes like this can send a dangerous message about the government’s stance on racial equality. 

“While segregation is still illegal, this change sends a CLEAR message,” said civil rights attorney Ben Crump. 

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The Bigger Picture 

President Trump’s move to reduce anti-segregation rules matches his other attempts to diminish diversity initiatives throughout his administration. The right to equality demands that such changes will weaken existing initiatives which strive to eliminate systemic inequalities affecting minority groups, as reported by Reuters. 

The Trump administration supports these policy changes to remove what they consider to be discriminative treatment of white males.