When investigators started the heartbreaking recovery work following the tragic collision of  American Airlines Flight 5342 and a Blackhawk helicopter over the Potomac River, President Donald held a news conference that turned into another harsh critique of his predecessors, Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama and their administration’s support of diversity, equity and inclusion.

“Their policy was horrible and their politics was even worse,” Trump said, claiming that their policies led to a dearth of competent workers in the federal government. “They actually came out with a directive – ‘too white’ – and we want the people that are competent.”

Reporters questioned his assertions because the investigation was preliminary, and there was no evidence the cause of the disaster that claimed 67 lives was connected to DEI. 

“Because I have common sense, OK, and unfortunately a lot of people don’t,” Trump responded.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the president’s remarks as “shameful” and “irresponsible.”

He added, “Bodies are still being pulled from the Potomac, children we killed, future ice skating Olympians were killed, future leaders in Wichita, KS, and beyond were killed as a result of this tragedy.”

The 47th president spent the first two weeks of his administration taking swipes at and denigrating Black Americans and other minorities, suggesting that white workers are more qualified. Within hours of his swearing-in, he signed an executive order ending DEI initiatives across the federal government. Earlier this week, he signed an executive order eliminating diversity programs in the U.S. military. 

Political scientist and author, Dr. Sekou Franklin, said, “President Trump is advancing what should be called a”whitening” policy. In doing this, he wants to push out non-white Federal employees. Part of this is casting non-white persons, women and LGBTQ+ persons as incompetent and blaming them as responsible for disasters and institutional breakdowns. His agenda is similar to Woodrow Wilson’s aggressive efforts to create a whites-only and segregated Federal workforce.”  

When the wildfires in Los Angeles swept through thousands of homes and left billions of dollars in damage, some of Trump’s closest advisers blamed DEI. On social media, billionaires Elon Musk and Bill Ackman attacked the Los Angeles Fire Department for its diversity program.

Musk wrote, “DEI means people DIE.” However, he didn’t provide any proof that the fire and the department’s policy were connected. Right-wing commentator Matt Walsh claimed the LAFD “deliberately set out to exclude white men from becoming firefighters.”

Earlier this week, some federal employees at the Pentagon’s intelligence agency received a memo notifying them that the Trump Administration had “paused” Black History Month and other special events programs and related observances for Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, Native American Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and Pride Month.

“Civil rights groups and other advocates must challenge this approach,” Franklin urged. “We live in a global world. One third of the voting age populations are Blacks, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans.”

During the presidential campaign, one of the Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris’ rallying cry was, “We are not going back,” and at times when a victory at the polls beckoned, a return to the days when Black Americans and other minorities were consistently marginalized seemed unlikely. But within the first two weeks of his second chance in the White House, Donald Trump has already dealt a crippling blow to decades-old civil rights legislation that provided equal access to employment for Black Americans. And now, it seems Black History Month is the next casualty.

The February-long celebration of the achievements of Black Americans has been caught in the crosshairs of Trump’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion. A White House memo sent to federal employees states that agencies will “pause all activities and events related to Agency Special Emphasis Programs effective immediately and until further notice.” The memo lists Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride, Holocaust Day/Days of Remembrance, National Hispanic Heritage Month and National American Indian Heritage Month.

During a press conference, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “As far as I know, this White House certainly still intends to celebrate, and we will continue to celebrate American History and the contributions that all Americans – regardless of race, religion or creed – have made to our great country.”

Origins of Black History Month

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a historian and author, introduced the idea of recognizing the achievements of Black Americans in 1915 when he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History which is known today as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Through ASALH, Woodson established Negro History Week in February 1926, choosing February because it was the birthday month for Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. With a vast network of colleagues and friends, Woodson prompted Black History Week until it became nationally known.

In 1975, President Gerald Ford became the first president to share a message recognizing Black History Week. He urged all Americans to “recognize the important contribution made to our nation’s life and culture by black citizens.” 

In 1986 Congress passed Public Law 99-244 which designated February 1986 as ‘National Black History Month.’ The law also directed the president to issue a proclamation calling on Americans to join the observation with festivities and celebrations. President Ronald Reagan, also a Republican, issued a proclamation, stating “the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity.” 

It’s been 40 years since the first president embraced an invitation to applaud the accomplishments of Black Americans, and now a tradition honoring generations of Americans whose narrative includes enslavement, injustice and resilience on American soil may be erased.

An African American flight attendant died on American Eagle Flight 5342. Danasia Elder was one of the four Charlotte-based crew members who were killed when the plane collided with a Blackhawk helicopter over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport.

The 60 passengers on the flight were also killed in the crash, and the three servicemen on the helicopter also perished.

On social media, Elder’s colleagues remembered her as a “sweet” person. Her brother-in-law described her as “full of life” and love for God.

Rebecca Cavaliere posted on Facebook, “Danasia and I were in the same training class at PSA training group last year and got to work together several times. Please pray for her family, her young children and husband at this time.”

Cavaliere added, “You never think someone you know will be in a plane crash. I’ve worked flights into DCA many times and my brain can’t comprehend how this happened.

Investigators have spent the last 24 hours on the scene, searching for the victims and clues that will help them piece together what happened. A preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report 

said staffing at the air traffic control tower was “not normal” when the crash happened. According to the New York Times, the controller who was “handling helicopters in the airport’s vicinity on Wednesday night was also instructing planes that were landing and departing from its runways — jobs typically assigned to two different controllers.”

The National Transportation Safety Board has recovered the two so-called black boxes from the plane — a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder. The two devices will be analyzed.