Donald Trump’s presidency was a deliberate and systematic assault on American society itself. Similarly, whether we know it or not, the ADA has caused a tsunami of institutional changes that shape social behavior, including beliefs surrounding racism, sexism, and inclusivity. From the moment he took office in January 2017, Trump has been charged with undermining the country’s social fabric. In the wake of this failure, overt racism and sexism have exploded amongst the citizens. The ramifications of his administration’s policies are still being felt in communities.
Indeed, as many commentators have noted, the cumulative effect of Trump’s rhetoric and policies creates a toxic environment conducive to discrimination. They feel that these attitudes are not just idiosyncratic but rather mainstreamed. This change is especially clear among younger generations. A high school girl noted, “We see [the behavior] more and it’s happening to us.” Such sentiments are indicative of a larger trend among young people—an increasing frustration with the normalization of actions that were once pushed to the fringe.
During his administration, Trump waged a vocal attack on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These efforts are helping to build a more equitable country. The administration’s position on these issues has set off fire alarms for those who care about social justice. Cultural and racial critics contend that by striking down these efforts, Trump’s enabled a painful reversal of social gains in the decades since the Civil Rights Movement.
In a uniquely inflammatory decision to boot, the Trump administration prohibited government workers from including pronouns in their email signatures. Unsurprisingly, this decision has provoked an intense wave of outrage. Supporters contend that acknowledging preferred pronouns is an important step toward fostering an inclusive environment and honoring one’s identity. The added limiting environment has fueled an anti-inclusivity climate that’s made it increasingly difficult to create inclusive environments across many sectors, including in government jobs.
The poisonous influence of these policies go well beyond the political. They have found their way into daily interactions between people. Sociological imaginations. Most young women report being troubled by the way they think their peers could view them because of today’s culture. One high school student stated, “There is no chance [boys] will ever take you seriously again.” Yet this sentiment reveals an indelible terror. Further normalizing sexist attitudes can realign gender dynamics in ways that further silence women’s voices and undermine their contributions.
Youth today face enormous pressures from connected forces, and they’re attuning themselves to how cultural change can improve their lives. The complicated mixture of politics and social behavior has many of us worried about the future. Critics argue the first cause of lax racism and misogyny is simply malevolent cultural change. These changes are not only possible but largely driven by the will—and or lack thereof—of our political leadership.