Why Diversity Training Has Been Suspended At USAID

The Trump administration issued an executive order and memorandum in September, prohibiting any discussion in the federal workforce of concepts such as systemic racism, white privilege and unconscious bias during workplace diversity training.

While affirming a commitment to "continue to foster environments devoid of hostility grounded in race, sex, and other federally protected characteristics," the order condemned workplace diversity and inclusion trainings that bring up these concepts as "divisive," "anti-American," racist against white people and sexist against men. As an example, the order pointed to a Treasury Department seminar that promoted the idea that "virtually all white people, regardless of how 'woke' they are, contribute to racism."

The overall message: Such trainings must stop in federal agencies, contractors or any other institution that receives federal grants; otherwise, they may lose their funding. In part the memo said these parties must certify that they will "not use Federal funds to promote the divisive concepts set forth in the E.O." and that "noncompliance by continuing with prohibited training will result in consequences."