Dallas hosts community meetings after cutting DEI programs
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Dallas city leaders are hosting community meetings to balance the demands of President Trump's anti-DEI policies while also maintaining a commitment to invest in historically disenfranchised communities.
Why it matters: Dallas and Fort Worth have both ended diversity programs to keep federal dollars in the wake of executive orders against diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
- Trump's war on "woke" policies is reshaping federal, state and local governments. Even private institutions in academia, law, media and tech have capitulated.
The big picture: Gov. Greg Abbott, like Trump, issued a ban on DEI programs and policies in the state government earlier this year.
- Public universities have also had to comply with state and federal DEI bans.
Zoom in: So far in Texas, Dallas and Fort Worth are the only major cities to end diversity programs and policies.
- The Fort Worth City Council voted earlier this month to end its diversity policies and close the city's DEI office to preserve $300 million in federal funding.
- The Dallas City Council also voted this month to suspend all of its diversity programs. City staff are reviewing all municipal policies to comply with the federal guidelines and will update council members next month.
Context: The change ends Dallas' racial equity plan, which sought to increase loan opportunities for minority-owned businesses and improve infrastructure in historically segregated southern Dallas neighborhoods.
Reality check: In 1916, Dallas was the first Texas city to implement housing segregation by race.
- It was one of the last major U.S. cities to desegregate.
What they're saying: "Our realigned efforts will continue to invest in neighborhoods and expand opportunities so all Dallas residents can thrive," fliers for the Dallas community meetings say.
What's next: The first community meeting is at 4pm Tuesday at the Latino Cultural Center. Other meetings take place:
- 6pm Wednesday at J. Erik Jonsson Central Library.
- 6pm Sept. 4 at Dallas City Hall.
- 10:30am Sept. 6 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.
- 6pm Sept. 9 at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center.