No, Trump Didn’t Just Bring Back Segregation—Here’s What's Going On

Social Media Melts Down Over Repeal of 1965 Workplace Order—But the Civil Rights Act Still Stands

🚨 If you’ve been scrolling X lately, you’ve probably seen the panic: “Trump just rolled back desegregation!” “Separate water fountains are legal again!” But let’s cut through the noise.

On January 21, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order repealing a 60-year-old rule that was tied to workplace equality. It’s a big change—but it’s not what the media is making it out to be.

Here’s what actually happened, what it affects, and why segregation is still 100% illegal in the United States.

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1️⃣ What Was Executive Order 11246?

📅 Signed in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson

EO 11246 was part of the Civil Rights era push to end discrimination in the workplace. But it didn’t apply to everyone—it specifically targeted federal contractors (businesses working with the U.S. government).

🔹 What It Did:
✔️ Banned discrimination in hiring, firing, and workplace policies for government contractors.
✔️ Required affirmative action—companies had to actively work to hire minorities and women.
✔️ Outlawed segregated facilities—no more separate bathrooms, break rooms, or water fountains.
✔️ Enforced by the OFCCP—businesses that violated the order risked losing federal contracts.

📌 Why This Mattered:

• It didn’t apply to all businesses—just those working with the federal government.

• It added extra protections for federal contractors, but it wasn’t the law for everyone.

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2️⃣ What Did Trump’s New Executive Order Do?

📅 January 21, 2025

Trump’s new executive order, titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” revokes EO 11246.

🚨 Key Changes:

• Affirmative action requirements for federal contractors are gone.

• Federal contractors no longer have to track minority and female hiring.

• The rule against segregated facilities in federal contracts is no longer explicitly stated.

• Workplace oversight by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is reduced.

📌 Why This Matters:

• Federal contractors can now make hiring decisions without diversity goals.

• There’s no longer a contract-based rule against segregated workplaces.

• But the panic that this “brings back segregation” is misleading.

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3️⃣ The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Still Bans Segregation

📅 Signed a year before EO 11246, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the actual law that makes segregation illegal.

🚨 Key Protections That Still Exist:
✔️ Title II (Public Accommodations): Bans segregation in restaurants, hotels, stores, and all public businesses.
✔️ Title VII (Employment): Bans workplace discrimination in hiring, pay, promotions, and segregating workers by race or gender.
✔️ Enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)—businesses that discriminate can face lawsuits, fines, and federal penalties.

📌 Why This Matters:

• The Civil Rights Act applies to everyone, not just federal contractors.

• Segregation is still illegal nationwide.

• EO 11246 added extra rules for government contractors, but its repeal doesn’t erase the Civil Rights Act.

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4️⃣ What’s the Real Impact?

📅 Now that EO 11246 is gone, here’s what changes:

✔️ No More Affirmative Action for Contractors: They can hire based on merit without setting diversity goals.
✔️ Less Oversight from OFCCP: No more diversity audits for federal contractors.
✔️ Segregation Is Still Illegal: Any company that tries to bring back “white” and “colored” facilities would be sued under Title II and Title VII.

📌 What This Means for You:

• If you don’t work for a federal contractor, this change doesn’t affect your job.

• If you do work for a federal contractor, your company no longer has to track diversity hiring.

• If any company tries to segregate employees, the EEOC can still take them to court.

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5️⃣ Why the “Segregation Is Back” Panic?

📅 Social media freaked out over EO 11246’s repeal—but here’s why it’s misleading.

🚨 Two Big Reasons for the Panic:

1️⃣ EO 11246’s Desegregation Rule Was Redundant—the Civil Rights Act already banned segregation.
2️⃣ Symbolism Matters—people see this as part of a broader rollback of diversity policies.

📌 Bottom Line:

• Trump’s repeal doesn’t bring back segregation.

• The Civil Rights Act is still the law of the land.

• Federal contractors now have fewer diversity mandates, but discrimination is still illegal.

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What Do You Think?

Was this a necessary rollback of race-based hiring mandates, or does it send the wrong message about civil rights? Drop a comment below and join the conversation.

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