Activism

Opinion: Trump’s Undoing of Civil Rights Gains

With quotas installed, mistakes will be made. Innocent legal immigrants will be arrested. A shot of fear is now present in immigrant communities. The scowling Donald Trump is the new face of the Statue of Liberty.

Published

1 year ago

January 2, 2025

Emil Guillermo

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Breaking News: Donald Trump is not a liar.

Not when it comes to immigrants. He authorized ICE to arrest 1,000 of them.

Two weeks in, and Trump has signed more executive orders than ever. He is reshaping the country we thought we had.

And it’s only the beginning, not just for immigrants. But for all of us.

Undoing America

As an American who grew up in the “Civil Rights” era of the ‘60s,

I could not conceive or dream of an “Un-Civil Rights” era.

But here we are, nostalgic for an America where the prevailing belief in fairness was on our side. The people’s side.

Someone asked me the other day why I looked so young. An old guy like me? It was flattering. But how I look isn’t just due to the increased melanin in my skin or my ethnic Filipino Asian-ness.

Part of it too was I have been underutilized — all throughout my life in my various careers. The door opened occasionally for me, but mainly remained shut.

When it did open, I had my chance to prove myself, and I was always proud of what I could show. I worked hard for the little work they allowed me to do, and I’m grateful for that.

But there were never enough spaces. I was often the only Filipino or person of color in the room. And too many times, one of us was deemed enough.

Hard to imagine now in a diverse America. But I’m talking 50 years ago.

Donald Trump’s executive order on affirmative action aims his wrecking ball at the order issued by President Lyndon Johnson in the ‘60s. Johnson’s vision led to more than six decades of trying to erase the White bias in government jobs and contracts. It served as a model to both the public and private sectors.

It created the crack in the door where I got my shot.

Johnson’s order also served as a model for higher education. Those efforts were essentially killed when the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in the Harvard case in 2023.

We all knew that with that ruling, the next step would be public employment and contracts in some fashion. The private sector was already ahead of the pack. McDonald’s, Walmart, and Meta have all ended DEI programs or made changes.

Trump, in his inaugural speech, didn’t dare mention the J6 pardons to come or the unconstitutional act of dismantling birthright citizenship in violation of the 14^th Amendment.

But he was clear when he said he’d get “race and gender out of public life, adding that the standard policy of America is color-blind and merit-based.”

Color blind just means you’re blind folded unless you pledge allegiance to Trump.

Note: I am in New York, appearing in the theatrical premiere of “The Shine Challenge 2025,” by Oakland author Ishmael Reed. The show opens Jan. 30 and runs through mid-February. Come by or tell a friend if you’re in New York. It’s a must-see for Black History Month.

See more here: https://theaterforthenewcity.net/shows/the-shine-challenge-2025/

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist, commentator, speaker and humorist. Watch his mini-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1

Or join him on www patreon.com/emilamok