Trump administration removes ban on 'segregated facilities' in federal contracts | Reuters
Category: News & Politics
Via: john-russell • one month ago • 11 commentsBy: Kanishka Singh (Reuters)
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has removed an explicit ban on "segregated facilities" like waiting rooms, restaurants and drinking fountains for federal contractors, a memo issued by the U.S. General Services Administration showed.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has taken multiple steps aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government and private sector.In one such executive order, Trump revoked executive policies dating as far back as 1965 on equal employment opportunities, environmental actions designed to protect communities of color, and "workforce balancing" efforts by federal contractors based on race, gender and religion.The 1965 action aimed to end discriminatory practices in hiring and employment on the part of U.S. government contractors.The February 15 memo said it was making changes prompted by that executive order from Trump.
KEY QUOTE
The memo stated, opens new tab that "when issuing new solicitations or contracts," civil agencies should no longer include the provision and clause about the "Prohibition of Segregated Facilities."
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Federal and state laws still outlaw discrimination and segregation and while the memo's step was symbolic, civil rights advocates noted it as part of a trend with Trump's policymaking.They said that any step that may give the perception of turning back the clock on racial segregation was not welcome."While segregation is still illegal, this change sends a CLEAR message," civil rights attorney Ben Crump said.
CONTEXT
Rights advocates say measures Trump is trying to dismantle aimed to uplift marginalized groups and addressed the …
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I dont think this means we are going to start seeing separate drinking fountains for whites and "coloreds" in the offices of government contractors. That is still against the law. But this is Trump demonstrating solidarity with the people who would like to have such an arrangement back.
www.independent.co.uk /news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-executive-order-segregation-federal-contractors-b2717572.html
Trump executive order rescinds ban on ‘segregated’ facilities for federal contractors, conflicting with federal law
Graig Graziosi 5-6 minutes 3/19/2025
Donald Trump has overturned an executive order signed by Lyndon B Johnson in 1965 to jettison a requirement that federal contractors must enforce rules against segregation in their workplaces .
The General Services Administration last month issued a memo to all federal agencies pointing out that Trump’s order no longer requires businesses paid with taxpayer dollars in contracts to ensure they won’t have facilities like segregated dining areas for Black and white employees.
State and federal laws still outlaw segregation in all companies, including government contractors, but New York University constitutional law professor Melissa Murray told NPR that Trump’s message in lifting the ban is significant and disturbing.
"It's symbolic, but it's incredibly meaningful in its symbolism," she said, noting that the changes conflict with laws established by the government in the 1950s and 1960s "that led to integration."
The “fact that they are now excluding those provisions from the requirements for federal contractors speaks volumes," Murray told NPR.
Under the Federal Acquisition Regulation — a set of rules used by federal agencies to write contracts between the government and contractors — a clause required any company receiving a contract to maintain integrated workplaces.
"The Contractor agrees that it does not and will not maintain or provide for its employees any segregated facilities at any of its establishments, and that it does not and will not permit its employees to perform their services at any location under its control where segregated facilities are maintained," clause 52.222-21 of the regulation says.
Under the regulation, integrated facilities are defined as work areas, drinking fountains, transportation, housing, restaurants, and other areas that do not segregate based on "race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin."
The ACLU condemned the move , saying the executive order "is not only undoing decades of federal anti-discrimination policy, spanning Democratic and Republican presidential administrations alike, but also marshaling federal enforcement agencies to bully both private and government entities into abandoning legal efforts to promote equity and remedy systemic discrimination."
Trump’s executive orders “undermine obligations dating back to the Johnson administration that firms doing business with the U.S. government and receiving billions in public dollars are held to the highest standards in remedying and preventing bias," the ACLU added.
The Department of Commerce, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Institutes of Health have reportedly already notified staff overseeing federal contracts that they should begin instituting the changes outlined in Trump's executive order.
"FAR 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities and FAR 52.222-26 — Equal Opportunity will not be considered when making award decisions or enforce requirements," stated a recent notice sent by the National Institutes of Health.
At present, all businesses operating in the United States are still subject to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Trump's executive order stands in conflict with that and state laws requiring integration, meaning any challenge between the two would likely have to be settled in court.
The law still trumps an old, meaningless provision of an executive order.
this seed is the perfect example of left wing media taking advantage of their gullible base to whip up anger over nothing. There is zero practical effect to this,
But TRUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The right will say this is meaningless because explicit segregation is illegal.
Then why did Trump give the order removing the language?
It is a matter of "principle" with him. Many conservatives opposed the Civil Rights Act, and they or their descendants still do. Just because they lost that fight doesnt mean that they dont appreciate the president dog whistling them.
Trump is not racist if that is what you are implying.
Of course Trump isn't racist. He just says racist things. /s
Can you imagine? someone who thinks people of color don't need protection and that they are equals who don't need HELP to get ahead and are able to compete equally with white people? definitely not a democrat position.
Can you show proof of something ACTUALLY racist?
The whole birther thing wasn't enough for you? Doing nothing else with my time it would take me a day or two to compile a comprehensive list of all the this racist and bigoted shit Trump has said.
which one? Obama or McCain?
McCain’s Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries About Whether That Rules Him Out - The New York Times
Is John McCain a natural-born citizen of the U.S.? | Snopes.com
John McCain's Presidential Eligibility - FactCheck.org
McCain's Canal Zone Birthplace Raises Eligibility Questions | HuffPost Latest News
You would have to be a progressive democrat to think another presidential candidate should be treated different solely based on skin color.