Perryman: “It is time to stop the excuses. Our institutions must re-commit to embracing Black history, equity, and inclusion of all people”
Washington, D.C. — On the heels of a significant victory for educators and communities across the nation against the Trump-Vance administration’s attempt to withhold federal funding from education institutions that teach students critical history, sociology, and other lessons that may reference race, provide support to students in the form of diversity, equity, or inclusion programming, or attempt to foster inclusive school environments for students of all backgrounds, Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman today called upon institutions across the nation to re-commit to embracing Black history, equity, and the inclusion of all people.
“Black History is American history, despite the efforts of too many to overlook, hide, and deny the culture, experiences, and achievements of Black Americans. This Black History Month, we must all use our platforms to call out the Trump-Vance administration’s efforts to erase the history of Black people and to protect the sacred stories and experiences of Black Americans to ensure that future generations can learn and be inspired by them,” said Perryman. “Black history is the history of the work to build democracy. The courts have uniformly affirmed this year that there is no legal basis for the Trump-Vance administration’s continued efforts to erase Black history and to reverse civil rights.”
Since President Trump’s inauguration, the executive branch has moved swiftly to implement a core pillar of Project 2025: dismantling protections and rolling back rights that advance racial equity. Those measures have hit barriers in the courts, which have consistently ruled against the president’s agenda, including in a legal challenge to stop implementation of the administration’s “Dear Colleague Letter” that attempted to defund K-12 and higher education institutions that taught about racism.
Democracy Forward has filed hundreds of legal actions since the president’s second inauguration, launched hundreds of investigations, and, through its Democracy 2025 initiative, has organized the largest, most successful affirmative litigation effort against executive branch excesses in United States history. Learn more in our 2025 Impact Report.
“While the Trump-Vance administration seeks to intimidate institutions into denying history and abandoning their civil rights and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the law has not changed since the president took office,” Perryman remarked. “It is time to stop the excuses. Our institutions must re-commit to embracing Black history, equity, and inclusion of all people.”
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Democracy Forward is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org.
