In a move that’s raising major eyebrows across the nation, the Trump administration just pulled a historic shift — the longstanding ban on segregated facilities in federal contracting rules has officially been removed.
According to a General Services Administration memo dropped last month, the federal government will no longer explicitly require federal contractors to maintain integrated spaces like restaurants, waiting areas, and even drinking fountains. Yeah, you read that right.
This change is part of a larger update tied to Trump’s executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion policies — effectively rolling back protections that trace all the way back to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1965 executive order. That order enforced nondiscrimination requirements for companies working under federal contracts — especially when it came to race and integrated work environments.
This shift hits deep, especially for communities of color who’ve fought for decades to dismantle systems that kept us locked out and left out.
What’s Really Changing With This Federal Move?
While state and federal civil rights laws still ban segregation and discrimination, this move from the Trump administration is still heavy.
Legal experts are calling it more than just policy — they say it’s symbolism with serious undertones.
“It’s symbolic, but it’s incredibly meaningful in its symbolism,” said Melissa Murray, a constitutional law professor at New York University.
Murray went on to explain that these clauses were more than just words on paper — they were part of a legal legacy from the civil rights era. “These provisions that required federal contractors to adhere to and comply with federal civil rights laws and to maintain integrated rather than segregated workplaces were all part of the federal government’s efforts to facilitate the settlement that led to integration in the 1950s and 1960s.”
She didn’t hold back: “The fact that they are now excluding those provisions from the requirements for federal contractors, I think, speaks volumes,” she added.
So, What Does This Mean For Everyday Folks?
Now, let’s break it down for the people. What’s this really mean on the ground?
In short, federal contractors won’t be bound by specific rules that once protected integrated facilities. While they still gotta follow overarching civil rights laws, this tweak could open the door for loopholes — and you already know how that plays out in real life.
It’s not that companies will automatically start putting up “Whites Only” signs again — but when protections are stripped, enforcement gets blurry, and marginalized communities often get hit the hardest.
This move also highlights how political power can reshape the narrative on equity. One stroke of a pen can either protect progress or erase it — and we’re seeing the latter play out in real time.
