Impacts of Presidents Obama and Trump on Systemic Racism
Obama Administration Actions
| Category | Obama Administration Action | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice | Consent Decrees [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] | Challenged by Trump Administration [1] [2] |
| Criminal Justice | Fair Sentencing Act | Active |
| Criminal Justice | Cut Mandatory Minimum Sentencing | Reinstated by Trump Administration (Despite warning by GOP Senator Rand Paul that it would negatively affect minorities) |
| Criminal Justice | 19% of federal judge appointees were black (compared to 7% under Bush and 4% under Trump) [1] | N/A |
| Education | School Discipline Guidance | Rescinded by Trump Administration |
| Employment | Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act | Active |
| Finances | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | Active |
| Housing | Fair Housing Rule | Eliminated by Trump Administration |
| Healthcare | Affordable Care Act Section 1557 | Pending repeal through Trump administration lawsuit |
Trump Administration Actions
| Category | Trump Administration Actions | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice | First Step Act | Positive |
| Education | Longterm HBCU Funding | Positve |
| Employment | Banned racial sensitivity training for federal agencies and contractors | Negative (also jeopardizes all federal HBCU funding) |
| Housing | Diluted 40-year-old discrimination protections | Negative (Despite warning by major lenders that it would negatively affect minorities) |
| Housing | Generated investment in underserved communities | Positive |