by Quintessa Williams, Word in Black

In the first days of his second term, Donald Trump wasted no time keeping a campaign promise to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, via executive order, across federal agencies. With the stroke of a pen, he closed DEI offices, laid off staff, and rolled back attempts to level the playing field for Black people.  

“The Biden administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government,” Trump’s order reads. “That ends today.” 

While the order didn’t directly target the Department of Education, DEI experts say Trump’s order sends a chilling message to schools and districts that don’t follow suit. For K-12 education, the rollback of initiatives designed to encourage the hiring of Black teachers and help Black students succeed could have devastating consequences instead.

RELATED: These Executive Orders Can Hit Black Students the Hardest

“This is not just an attack on DEI; it’s a rejection of diversity itself,” says Dante King, a DEI expert and author of “Diagnosing Whiteness & Anti-Blackness: White Psychopathology, Trauma, and Collective Psychosis in America.” He says it’s time to recognize “the political systems driving this rollback and how they devalue Black and Brown people.”

Impact on Black Student Achievement

Programs to diversify schools, curriculum, and the teacher workforce have been critical tools for addressing systemic inequities that hamstring Black students — including implicit bias in school discipline rates, lack of culturally competent school curricula, and being taught by educators who look like them. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research recently found that Black students with at least one Black teacher by third grade are 13% more likely to enroll in college. A similar Brookings Institution study found college enrollment rates increased to 32% for Black students with two Black teachers by the same grade.

Additionally, in 2023, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) reported that pairing Black students with Black teachers increases student achievement — especially among math and reading test scores — and decreases chronic absenteeism by roughly 60%.

“Black teachers bring a cultural understanding and affirmation of Black children’s value that non-Black educators often lack,” King says. “It’s important that we keep providing the adequate resources to continue to attract and retain them.”

Efforts to bring more Black educators into the classroom also helped amplify calls for a more culturally competent curriculum in the classroom, which improved Black student engagement and academic performance. In 2024, the Thurgood Marshall Institute found that culturally responsive education “decreased dropout rates and suspensions while increasing student participation, confidence, academic achievement, and graduation rates.”

King says dismantling these DEI efforts will have the opposite effect on Black students. 

“Saturating Black students with subjects and information that are not engaging is a huge reason why many Black children struggled in these systems without culturally engaging curriculums,” he says. “If Black students can’t truly learn about their experiences or how to use education meaningfully, it will diminish their participation and will, quite frankly, further taint the entire educational system.”

Moreover, DEI programs are tied to more inclusive school policies, such as restorative justice practices implemented to reduce disciplinary actions. According to research organizations like The Learning Policy Insitute, these approaches help decrease suspension rates, improve the school climate, and boost Black students’ overall well-being. 

Black Students’ Psychological Safety In An Anti-DEI Era

The removal of such DEI initiatives won’t just affect Black students’ academically — it will take a toll on their psychological safety. King warns this shift will lead to increased racial trauma for many Black students, but says the time is now for communities to recognize and organize.

“At the end of the day, America invests in what it values, and it’s time to put meaningful resources behind diversifying education to inspire and empower the next generation of students. It’s what they deserve.”