by Daniel Johnson
January 26, 2025
“Americans are witnessing the ‘Alabama-fication’ of federal government,” Woodfin said.
Randall Woodfin, the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, criticized the executive orders of Donald Trump, comparing the executive orders to what Alabama’s political leaders have been doing in his state.
According to 1819 News, Woodfin made the comparison during a recent appearance on CNN, and like previous criticism of affirmative action from Black Americans, Woodfin indicated that white women were among the primary beneficiaries of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
“Listen, the unfortunate part of this conversation of stripping DEI, Americans are witnessing the ‘Alabama-fication’ of federal government,” Woodfin said. “We’ve seen in Alabama, legislators create laws to get rid of DEI and the governor signing to law that removing DEI from colleges and universities and other aspects throughout the state.”
He continued, “And so we’ve seen this dance, and the unfortunate part is other Americans have to witness this at the national level. That being the case, we all know those who benefit the most from DEI are veterans as well as white women. And so DEI has always gone well beyond African Americans and other minorities. When you say you don’t want to have programs that support veterans, when you say you don’t want to have programs that support women, etc. What are you really saying? What message and who are you trying to communicate with?”
Woodfin’s comments regarding white women and diversity and inclusion initiatives are also supported by data, according to McKinsey & Company’s 2024 Women in the Workplace report, women are underrepresented at every level of the corporate pipeline.
However, the disparity is worse for Black women and other women of color.
According to their report, it would take nearly 50 years for the representation of women to reflect their shares of the national population.
According to NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, the Alabama law is part of the Republican agenda to return to the days of Jim and Jane Crow.
“The ongoing assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion is part of an anti-Black agenda that seeks to revert our nation back to a time where Black students and teachers were denied adequate access to the classroom. We refuse to go back,” Johnson stated.
Johnson was also critical of Trump’s executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion, saying in a Jan. 22 press release that the orders placed a target on the backs of Black Americans.
“His (Trump) appalling executive order will only worsen America’s racial hierarchy and benefit the oligarch class. This executive order threatens public services that benefit all Americans; it’s an attempt to consolidate power and money to a few wealthy individuals. And poor and working-class people will pay the price.”
Johnson continued, “This is all part of a calculated strategy to redefine the role of government, privatize essential public services, and further discrimination. Elections have consequences and it’s clear that this election has put a target on Black America’s back.”
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