Do you know what sounds like DEI? Proper sanitation and sewage systems. It might not make sense to you, but it certainly does to President Trump. Recently, the Trump administration decided that fixing the sewage issues in Alabama’s Lowndes County wasn’t a priority, mainly because the residents there are Black. If you want their exact reasoning, they claimed they no longer wish to pursue “environmental justice,” as it’s driven by DEI principles. In essence, they took issue with how the Biden administration framed the problem.
Under Biden, the federal government allocated $26 million to address the area’s sewage and water infrastructure, framing the situation as “environmental racism” given the prolonged issues that have disproportionately affected the Black community. Trump, however, didn’t agree with that characterization and chose to reverse the decision, effectively downplaying the importance of resolving health risks like hookworm infections for the people of Lowndes County.
The people in this Alabama county have been battling sewage problems for the past 14 years. The situation is so dire that some homes are surrounded by shallow puddles of dirty water. In some cases, residents have even had to dig ditches to keep rainwater from flooding their homes. It’s worth noting that Lowndes County isn’t the only area facing sewage issues. Mount Vernon, New York, dealt with similar problems but resolved them within five years. Meanwhile, the people of Lowndes County continue to endure these ongoing health hazards.
If you think the Trump administration’s reasoning doesn’t make sense, you’re not alone. Alabama Representative Terri Sewell also takes issue with the termination of this agreement. The project to address the sewage problems in this Alabama county is a public health crisis, not about DEI. Sewell pointed out that Trump’s decision only shows he doesn’t care about the health of the Lowndes County community.
Sewell’s opinion is shared by many online users who have heard about the situation. Many criticized Trump for trying to frame this public health crisis as an issue of DEI instead of addressing it for what it really is. Some found Trump’s use of the term “illegal DEI” particularly problematic. “Can we focus on that ‘illegal DEI’ comment for a moment? He’s now saying that DEI is against the law. Not just something he wants to stop, but something that will get you thrown in jail,” one user pointed out.
Others expressed concern for the people of Lowndes County, finding it unreasonable that U.S. citizens have to face the threat of hookworm infections because of Trump’s administration’s racism. “I guess Alabama will now be literally full of s—,” one Redditor said.
