Rep. Jackson fights back on DEI attacks
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Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) with Axios' Justin Kaufmann as part of the Zoom In event series. Photo: Amuma Photography/Axios
Chicago Congressman Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) isn't holding back in condemning federal government rollbacks on DEI.
The big picture: Jackson, who represents the South Side of Chicago, has stepped up to organize and co-chair the new U.S. House caucus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The latest: Jackson had sharp words Thursday for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration, following the Defense Department's removal of a webpage honoring Jackie Robinson's military service.
- The DOD says it was following the president's executive order to remove all references to DEI from its sites.
- They also recently scrubbed references to the Navajo Code Talkers from World War II.
- The department quickly reinstated the Robinson webpage, and officials say they will do the same for the Navajo Code Talkers.
What they're saying: "The defense secretary is breaking the law," Jackson said in an interview during the Axios Zoom In event downtown.
- "Affirmative action is legal in military academies. He's discriminating, he's race-baiting, and he's wrong."
Zoom out: The Trump administration has diversity programs in its crosshairs, firing entire offices from several agencies and removing language from federal government sites.
- The administration has also threatened to cut federal funding for recipients who continue to promote diversity.
The intrigue: As some Democrats are pushing the party away from identity politics, Jackson is leaning in.
- He says the administration's consistent use of the phrase "DEI" is just a code word for Black people.
Between the lines: Jackson, the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, could be angling for a bigger role in the Democrat's plans to form a resistance to Trump and the Republican majority in Congress.
- He threw his hat in the ring to take over as chairman of the Democratic National Committee but did not get the support of his party.
- "We've conceded too much. Enough is enough," Jackson said about the attacks on DEI. "This generation wants to go forward. We aren't going back."
What's next: The caucus will convene for the first time next week.