Trump Pulls Up to the HBCU Spot with a "Promote Excellence" EO? Read the Fine Print, Kinfolk.
✉️ THE MORNING TRAP – APRIL 25, 2025
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🎯 TOP TRAP – “Trump Pulls Up to the HBCU Spot with a "Promote Excellence" EO? Read the Fine Print, Kinfolk.”
📌 Quick Recap:
On the heels of axing Biden-era diversity initiatives, the White House dropped a new Executive Order on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
They say it's all about "promoting excellence and innovation," boosting private sector ties, and getting that AI tech flowing.
But peep the game: This order also replaces the previous administration's HBCU initiative and talks about holding accreditors accountable, stirring pots on accreditation standards that could impact how DEI is measured.
🗣️ Trap Quote of the Day:
"New broom sweeps clean, but does it clean our house or just rearrange the dirt?"
🎛️ THE TRAP BREAKDOWN – They Want Us Starving and Silent
🎤Intro Take:
So, the word on the curb is President Trump signed a new Executive Order to "promote excellence" at HBCUs. On the surface, anything talkin' 'bout boosting our institutions sounds sweet, right? But after the jump he did on DEI initiatives when he first rolled back in, we gotta dissect this thing like a science project to see what's really good. Is this genuine support, or just another play in the political game?
📚Backstory:
Look, Uncle Sam's relationship with HBCUs been complicated. From underfunding to often being an afterthought, our institutions have thrived despite the lack of consistent, robust federal support, not always because of it. Administrations on both sides have had initiatives, but the impact always comes down to the paper and the policy behind the press conferences. This new EO replaces Biden's version, signaling a shift in approach, and given the broader political climate pushin' back against diversity and equity, we gotta stay woke to the angles.
💸 The Players:
You got the Trump administration pushing this as a win, trying to show love to a demographic they've struggled to connect with consistently. You got leaders at HBCUs, some cautiously optimistic, others side-eyeing the move after the recent rescinding of other orders that benefited minority-serving institutions and students.
The order mentions bringing in private sector heavy hitters – think big corporations, foundations, the folks with deep pockets. The potential benefit? More resources, tech upgrades, maybe even some pipeline programs. The potential trap?
Shifting the burden from federal responsibility to corporate goodwill, which can dry up faster than a creek in August. Plus, linking it to specific workforce pipelines like AI raises questions about the kind of education being prioritized and who gets to define "excellence."
🔁 The Pattern:
This move fits a pattern we've seen before: a high-profile gesture towards the Black community from an administration that has also implemented policies that disproportionately harm us. It's the same hand offering a rose while the other tightens the grip.
We see it with the talks of cutting housing vouchers – a program that directly keeps Black families housed, stable, and able to access opportunities. 41.6% of households receiving housing vouchers are Black, compared to making up about 14% of the U.S. population. Cutting those funds while offering a potentially conditional hand to HBCUs?
That's a classic systemic squeeze play. Meanwhile, you got folks in power like Tennessee Rep. Diana Harshbarger allegedly still comfortable using racially charged language like "boy" when referring to a Black colleague, Rep. Al Green.
The disrespect is a feature, not a bug, of the environment they cultivate. And when institutions like Cornell buckle under pressure and cancel artists like Kehlani over their pro-Palestinian stance – an issue with deep ties to global justice and liberation movements that resonate in our community – it shows how quickly spaces can fold when the heat is applied, often on issues where Black folks stand for the oppressed.
And let's not forget the ongoing struggle, like Rev. Jamal Bryant's call for a full Target boycott because they rolled back on DEI commitments and haven't met demands to reinvest in Black businesses. These ain't isolated incidents; they're connected threads in a larger tapestry of power, access, and who gets left out in the cold.
📣 Kinfolk Need to Know:
They can sign all the EOs they want, but if the foundation of equity is crumbling, the building ain't safe. The real power is in how these orders are implemented and whether they truly translate to our benefit, not just good press for them.
♻️ TRAP TALK: Screenshots That Slap
Viral quote:
"They tryna sell us 'excellence' while cuttin' the floor out from under our cribs." #Traponomics #StayWoke
📊 Stat That Hits:
Black households are over 2.9 times more likely to receive housing vouchers than their share of the population. Cuts hit us different.
🧾 Receipt That Flips It:
Remember when the same energy used for this HBCU order was used to roll back DEI initiatives that benefited Black students and staff across the board? Context is key.
🔨 DO SOMETHING – Today’s Move
✅ ACTION:
Support Black-Owned Everything! While Target figures out if they with us or not, let's reroute our dollars to businesses that are already invested in our community. Find a Black-owned bank, a Black-owned grocery store, a Black-owned bookstore. Make that shift stick.
💬 Caption:
Post this in your fam group chat right now:
Stop askin' where to shop if Target ain't listenin'. Here's the play: [Link to Local Black business directory] #BuyBlack #TrapMoney
✊🏽 CULTURE REWIND – We Are Our Ancestors' Investment
🖼️ Memory:
Think 'A Different World' and Hillman College – the vision of Black excellence, community, and intellectual rigor. HBCUs ain't just schools; they are sanctuaries and springboards. This EO needs to honor that legacy, not just slap a new coat of paint on old neglect.
💼 Business Spotlight:
Shout out to the organizations on the ground, like the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), who stay advocating for the resources and recognition our HBCUs deserve, no matter who's in the White House. UNCF's work highlighting the massive economic impact of HBCUs ($16.5 billion annually!) reminds everyone that investing in our schools is investing in the whole damn country.
🎤 Pull-Out Line:
“Investing in HBCUs is investing in the future of American innovation." (Let's hold 'em to that.)
