Diversity at the 100 Day Mark
The media focus this week has been on what Trump has, and hasn't, accomplished in his first 100 days in office. We are taking this moment to also take stock in what the rest of us have accomplished. Importantly, Diversity Matters will now look ahead. Our friends and supporters will hear more from us in the coming days about new strategies, and a new scorecard to ensure our elected representatives do more to promote inclusion in politics and policy. Sign up for our list to find out more!
The record on Trump at 100 days: We won't waste more ink on the cabinet and subcabinet appointments to date. Suffice it to say the appointees will shut out, rather than bring in, a diversity of perspectives and experiences. As for policies, we highlight just two: the travel ban on individuals from several Muslim-majority countries, and the unleashing of homeland security agents to round up and deport illegal immigrants, including Dreamers. Together these tell a story of the Trump administration's commitment to a war on diversity, their fear of America's multicultural reality, and their rejection of diversity as a fundamentally American idea and strength. We've highlighted some recent articles on the ongoing appeals to racism our Facebook page and will continue to share these resources.
The record on the opposition in the first 100 days: mixed. Per our earlier posts, we have not only been tracking the Administration, but also the Democratic National Committee. Our goal is to ensure that they are seeking and supporting diverse candidates around the country- and that the candidates themselves are committed to inclusion. In the past 100 days, the DNC elected new leadership and has been trying to heal the Sanders/Clinton rift in the party. Yet the party struggles with continuing tensions on whether it is talking to Trump voters, or to the rest of us, especially in its economic message. Do we really need different economic justice messages for white coal miners than for Latino health care workers? Going forward we'll be looking for Democratic candidates to stop struggling and stand on the common ground- like the proposed $15 minimum wage that would raise the pay of over 40 million workers- and since low wage workers are disproportionately female, African-American or Latino, this is a policy that lifts everyone's boat.
Finally, the record for the rest of us at 100 days is inspiring. So many actions have brought so many different groups together. One great example: in March 2017 the ACLU launched the People Power Project. Over 133,000 people have volunteered to put pressure on elected officials and local law enforcement officials to urge adoption of the ‘Freedom Cities’ nine ‘model’ state and local law enforcement policies. The nine policies expand upon the Sanctuary city concept, providing local law enforcement guidelines for our cities, towns and counties to protect Muslims, immigrants and refugees from some of the worst abuses of the Trump administration. At Diversity Matters, we have been talking to a number of other exciting new emerging grassroots resistance initiatives, including Indivisible (national and locals) and Rise Stronger, as well as getting back in touch with community activists at the People's Action/ Rise Up conference.
In just 100 days, we see plenty of change in our country. But it's still our country, and we look forward to working with old friends and new ones to make it better. We're keeping firmly in mind that many more people voted against Trump than for him, and an even greater number of eligible voters didn't vote at all this year. We believe the majority of Americans respect one another, value each other's differences, and believe an inclusive society is a better one for all of us. Keep following us for opportunities to get active with us in the coming days.