Opinion: Trump Is Rolling Back Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy, a Civil‑Rights Lawyer Says

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. helped reshape America by pressing the nation toward racial equality and broader access to opportunity. As we observe his holiday, the author argues that recent policies and rhetoric from President Donald Trump threaten to reverse many of King’s hard‑won gains.

Enduring Disparities

King’s dream — most famously expressed at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom — has not yet been fully realized. Systemic racism has been reduced in some areas but remains a powerful force in many communities. Federal data underscore persistent gaps: about 20% of Black households lived in poverty in 2024, compared with roughly 9% of white households; the median annual income for Black households in 2024 was about $56,000 versus about $88,000 for white households; and in November 2024 the Black unemployment rate was 8.3% compared with 3.9% for white Americans.

DEI Under Attack

Early in his second term, President Trump signed three executive orders declaring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs to be "illegal and immoral discrimination." Those orders eliminated DEI initiatives within the federal government and pressured businesses, nonprofits and colleges to scale back or end similar efforts. DEI, as implemented in many institutions, seeks to expand opportunity for groups historically excluded from full participation — an objective consistent with King’s advocacy for access and justice.

Voting Rights And Anti‑Poverty Programs

The Justice Department under this administration has retreated from certain court actions intended to enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a cornerstone of civil‑rights progress that removed barriers which once prevented millions of Black Southerners from voting. Meanwhile, the 2025 legislative package known as the Big Beautiful Bill Act — passed by a Republican Congress and signed into law — cuts more than $1 trillion from anti‑poverty and health programs over 10 years. Civil‑rights groups such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund warn that Black communities will be disproportionately affected by these reductions.

Contesting History And Public Memory

King insisted Americans confront the brutal legacy of slavery so the nation could address its long‑term consequences for Black citizens. By contrast, the president has publicly demanded changes at Smithsonian Institution museums to emphasize a more positive national narrative and to downplay depictions of slavery. The Smithsonian already presents a balance of achievement and honest inquiry into injustice, including comprehensive exhibits at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Rhetoric, Immigration And Policy

The president denies being racist, yet his record includes inflammatory language and immigration policies that many view as privileging white immigrants. Reports of comments describing some non‑white nations as "shithole countries," pejorative references to Black immigrants from Somalia and moves to restrict most refugee admissions while making exceptions for white South Africans have drawn widespread criticism. Such rhetoric and policies contrast sharply with King’s inclusive view of human dignity.

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." — Martin Luther King Jr.

A Personal Commitment

I was five when King was assassinated in 1968, yet I marched with my parents, who were active in the civil‑rights movement. As an attorney, I have continued working on civil‑rights litigation, following in my father’s footsteps. Our family’s work represents a small part of a much larger, ongoing struggle to make King’s vision a reality.

Conclusion

King believed moral progress was possible, even if slow. I share that conviction, and I believe the setbacks described here can be reversed. But reversing them will require renewed commitment from public officials, institutions and citizens to protect voting rights, preserve honest public memory, maintain anti‑poverty supports, and uphold policies that expand opportunity for all.

A. Scott Bolden is an attorney, a NewsNation contributor, former chair of the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party and a former New York state prosecutor.