Talks of Jim Crow and segregation’s return has the country buzzing with disbelief after President Donald Trump’s administration repealed a crucial “segregation clause” in a February memo. And while many are scared for the future of the nation, others are urging Black folks not to take Trump’s bait.
As The Root previously reported, the memo doesn’t explicitly make segregation legal at the federal, but it sure as hell doesn’t make it illegal... And now, Americans online are outraged. On X, @bangtanhottie_ tweeted “You mean to tell me Trump brought back segregation all this country is so cooked to everyone that voted for Trump.”
For many, the memo is just another example of the Trump administration trying to undo the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. So far, Trump has banned DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), repealed former President Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 executive order making discrimination illegal, and even attacked one of the three Reconstruction Amendments protecting birthright citizenship. @AttorneyGriggs wrote on X, “The administration is aggressively attempting to dismantle hard-won civil rights progress.
Other users, including @bunniv3, said the blame for this falls on the folks that voted for Trump in the first place. “All because yall swore that man was gonna give you a stimulus check and drop the price of eggs. All you can do is laugh,” they tweeted.
@Pisces_Prince_ wrote “The dumbest claim that many people on the left would suggest before the election was that ‘things couldn’t get worse (especially re: Palestine) than with Biden.’” He continued saying “Turns out, it actually can get much much worse, across all aspects of life!”
But while many people are afraid of what Trump’s attacks on DEI, civil rights, and other legislation means for the country, there are some who say bring it on! On X, @milli_shit wrote “We are not ancestors. Proceed with caution.”
Another user wrote “Trump bringing up segregation to try and bait Black folks but it ended up not working in his favor.” @AcajouRose continued saying, “instead, Black folks are saying ‘BRING IT BACK’ literally makes me cackle.”
Users like @xkaam are urging people to take advantage of the political climate saying, “it has NEVER been a better time to SUPPORT BLACK BUSINESSES.” On TikTok, @primadonna9330 said “Them ‘Blacks only’ signs this time around gon hit a whole lot different.”
Others are warning Black Americans against retaliation. @RandiWhite said on X “He’s trying to bait us. F*ck him, don’t bite.” @vinivinidogo responded saying “Exactly... Continue to stand down & stand back.”