Diversity

Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Geoffrey Starks issued remarks following reports that Chairman Carr has opened an investigation into the equal employment opportunity practices of Comcast and NBCUniversal. "Then-Commissioner Carr blasted the prior administration for acting in a way that ‘gives the FCC a nearly limitless power to veto private sector decisions,’" Starks said. "From what I know, this enforcement action is out of our lane and out of our reach.

President Trump’s blunt message after a whirlwind week of executive orders and presidential proclamations may boil down to this: Take me at my word. During four years in political exile after his first term, President Trump vowed to radically reshape American life, culture and politics if he got another chance.

President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term on Monday, January 20, and soon began fulfilling a number of campaign promises by signing a number of Executive Orders at Washington's Capital One Arena in front of thousands of supporters—a first in the nation's history—and later at the White House. Understanding the full impact of these executive actions will take some time; we start with an examination of the Executive Order on Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing and how it is being implemented at the Federal Communications Commission.

The Federal Trade Commission approved a motion to give Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson authority needed to comply with President Trump’s executive orders ending DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] across the federal government. A motion to grant that authority to the Chairman was approved by a vote of 2-1-2. Commissioners Rebecca K. Slaughter and Lina M. Khan did not participate.

Pursuant to the Executive Orders titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” and the Executive Order titled “Initial Recissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions” issued by President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission is rescinding its Equity Action Plan and all related materials and has discontinued www.fcc.gov/equity. 

DEI is a scourge on our institutions. It denies to all Americans the Constitution’s promise of equality before the law. It divides people into castes on the basis of immutable characteristics, and treats them as caste members rather than as individuals. It stokes tensions by elevating race and other immutable characteristics above merit and excellence. It promotes invidious discrimination. And it violates federal and natural law. I taken the following actions to protect the FTC’s employees and the American people from DEI:

What a shame. The Federal Communications Commission was created for the purpose of ‘regulating interstate and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio so as to make available, so far as possible, to all the people of the United States, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, a rapid, efficient, Nationwide, and world-wide wire and radio communication service. . .’  Most recently, in the [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act], Congress directed the Commission to prevent and eliminate digital discrimination.

Pursuant to the policies stated in President Trump's “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” Executive Order, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced that he is ending the FCC’s promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The Biden Administration forced illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), into virtually all aspects of the Federal Government, in areas ranging from airline safety to the military.

In 2022, Color Of Change pioneered the first Black Tech Agenda, which aimed to foster racial equity within technology by dismantling entrenched racism and promoting greater Black representation in technological decision-making roles.