Did DEI D.I.E.? Welcome to a new kind of 'civil rights' era

NPR | By Brittany Luse,

Corey Antonio Rose, Barton Girdwood, Jasmine Romero, Veralyn Williams

Published January 31, 2025 at 9:33 AM EST

One of President Trump's first executive orders was to remove diversity initiatives from the federal government.

The new Trump administration is using the language of civil rights but flipping it on its head. If 'diversity' is now being coded as discrimination, what does that mean for the future of civil rights?

Brittany is joined by Columbia Law professor Olatunde Johnson and Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery to look at how the Trump administration is dismantling federal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and how private businesses are following suit.

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Brittany Luse

Brittany Luse is an award-winning journalist, on-air host, and cultural critic. She is the host of It's Been a Minute and For Colored Nerds. Previously Luse hosted The Nod and Sampler podcasts, and co-hosted and executive produced The Nod with Brittany and Eric, a daily streaming show. She's written for Vulture and Harper's Bazaar, among others, and edited for the podcasts Planet Money and Not Past It. Luse and her work have been profiled by publications like The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vulture, and Teen Vogue.

Corey Antonio Rose

Barton Girdwood

Jasmine Romero

Veralyn Williams

Veralyn Williams (she/her) is a Peabody and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist who has been asking hard questions about our world since she picked up her first microphone in 2004. Now she brings her skills (and ears) to her role as executive producer of programming at NPR.