Maryland leaders publicly support Black History Month despite Trump's DEI attacks

Mary Carole McCauley, The Baltimore Sun on Feb 1, 2025

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Maryland political leaders stepped up their support Saturday for Black History Month in the midst of an onslaught of attacks on diversity initiatives by President Donald Trump.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland issued public statements on social media on Feb. 1 — the annual start to the month-long recognition of the achievements of Black Americans — honoring the contributions of their predecessors.

The tone of the statements were largely celebratory and did not criticize in this forum any of the executive orders which Trump has signed in the past two weeks.

However, Maryland Democratic U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin’s statement included a stinging rebuke to recent attempts to unravel diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, though Raskin stopped short of mentioning the president by name.

“Maryland and America: join me in recognizing the start of Black History Month,” Raskin wrote on the social media platform X. “As our country confronts the resurgent idiocy of racism, let’s celebrate the central contributions of Black Americans to our society and democracy.”

On Friday, Trump issued the traditional proclamation designating February as Black History Month.

“Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways,” he wrote on the White House website. “Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans.”

But in the first two weeks of his second term of office, Trump has signed several executive orders directing federal agencies to eliminate DEI programs, which he has described as “illegal and immoral discrimination programs.”

On Jan. 20, his first day in office, Trump ordered federal agencies to cut DEI programs and to close these offices. One week later, he ended DEI programs in the military. On Tuesday, he attempted to freeze federal funds for agencies with programs — and specifically, DEI programs — that ran counter to his executive orders. Trump rescinded the order the following day after it was temporarily blocked by a federal judge.

Scott released a minute-long video on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) in which he singled out the contributions of Baltimoreans who “have sewed the fabric of this nation” from the late Lillie May Carroll Jackson, who organized the Baltimore branch of the NAACP, to U.S. Supreme Court Judge Thurgood Marshall.

The mayor urged city residents to work “for equity and justice in our neighborhoods,” to support Black-owned businesses, “and to continue to tell the stories and history of our excellence while investing in our next generation’s history-makers.”

Moore’s statement on X also celebrated pioneers like the famed orator Frederick Douglass, but also “the scores of unnamed civil rights activists who worked tirelessly for better schools, equal pay, and real justice.”

And the 64 members of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland described the history of the state’s Black citizens on Facebook as one of “resilience, progress, and unwavering hope.”

The group pledged to “recommit to the mission and work ahead.”

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