President Donald Trump reportedly urged the U.S. State Department to downplay Black History Month which begins on Saturday, Feb. 1.
After being sworn-in as the nation’s 47th president on Jan. 20, Trump signed executive orders that appear to be discriminatory.
Trump raised eyebrows when he revoked a 60-year-old executive order that banned race and gender discrimination in government.
Another Trump executive order rolled back protections for transgender individuals. The order clarified that the U.S. government only recognizes 2 genders: male and female.
Trump’s executive order that banned diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies is causing confusion regarding Black History Month.
State Department officials sought guidance on whether they should celebrate Black History Month.
According to theGrio, State Department officials were told to “maintain the spirit of the directive eliminating DEI programs.”
The Wall Street Journal quotes a State Department official who said their interpretation of the guidance meant there would be “no public-facing messages or events about Black History Month.”
The official told the WSJ, “That’s how we’re reading it… The diplomats I spoke to today, with decades of experience, couldn’t remember a time we failed” to observe Black History Month.
The guidance advised that there would be “no restrictions” on content or programming related to accessibility or people with disabilities, the WSJ reports.
President Gerald Ford first observed Black History Month in 1976. Since then, every sitting president has recognized Black History Month.
The annual observation of February as Black History Month dates back to 1926, when it was known as Negro History Week.
