Opal Lee, a key figure in establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, criticizes President Trump's executive order pausing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) observances, including Black History Month and Juneteenth. Lee expresses her desire to meet with Trump and understand his reasoning behind the order, urging him to reconsider. She emphasizes the importance of DEI and Juneteenth, calling for continued celebration and reflection on these cultural events.
The “Grandmother of Juneteenth ” urges Trump to reconsider his executive order pausing DEI observances, including Black History Month and Juneteenth to discuss how she feels about the administration’s recent move. She led the push to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and said she would like to meet with Trump to have a conversation and ask him a direct question.“What is his reason? I just need to know why and see if I can’t talk into understand how much these mean to us.
Juneteenth is also included on the Defense Intelligence Agency’s list, but with an asterisk noting that federal holidays will not be paused.“We’re going to have to work to keep the status quo just to stay where we are and get out our oars and row against the current, against the tide,” Sims said.
Diversity Equity Inclusion Juneteenth Trump Administration Opal Lee Federal Holidays
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