“Trump Pulls the Plug on DEI — Black Farmers Left to Wilt”

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Trump Pulls the Plug: Black Farmers Left in the Dust After DEI Shutdown

You read that right, fam—Donald Trump just dropped the DEI guillotine, and guess who’s feeling it the hardest? Black farmers.

In a sweeping executive order, Trump has officially canceled all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. That means schools, corporations, and local governments are scrambling—but out on the land, Black farmers in East Texas are watching their dreams dry up like crops in a drought.

🌾 “Everything Is At a Standstill”

Roy Mills, a third-generation farmer from East Texas, was prepping to launch a nonprofit to host a farming conference that would’ve benefited underserved growers. He secured $300,000 in USDA grants to make it happen. But now? That money is frozen. Projects paused. Equipment upgrades? Dead in the dirt.

And he’s not alone—many Black-owned farms that were finally getting a shot at long-overdue federal support are now caught in the crossfire of a culture war disguised as “policy.”

🧾 USDA Said, “We Fixed Racism. We’re Done.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) didn’t just pull back—they went full scorched earth:

🔹 Canceled 3,600 contracts and grants

🔹 Ended 14 DEI-related programs

🔹 Claimed they’re saving taxpayers $5.5 billion

They’re now claiming discrimination is a thing of the past (😒 girl, be serious) and they’ll only hand out funds based on “merit,” not race or gender.

⚖️ But Critics Aren’t Buying It

Legal experts and advocates say this move guts critical access to capital for minority farmers—especially when only about 4% of U.S. farmers are people of color. The very programs created to rebalance decades of discrimination? Gone. Just like that.

And while some folks admit DEI programs were flawed or underdelivered, this ain’t the fix. It’s erasure. It’s giving “if we don’t talk about racism, maybe it’ll just disappear” vibes.

💬 The Streets (and Fields) Are Talking

What’s left? A lot of uncertainty. Black farmers who were just starting to see light at the end of the tunnel are back to square one. Many are praying that a new USDA focus on small farms might still trickle down to them—but nobody’s holding their breath.