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(Washington, D.C.) – The Office of Management and Budget’s Sept. 4 directive eliminating support for federal government-sponsored employee training which examines American society through categorizations of race, ethnicity, law and power will effectively serve as both a denial and a perpetuation of white supremacy. The following is a statement from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:

“Our nation stands at an inflection point as communities are grappling with the ongoing threat of racism, white supremacy and police violence. President Trump’s latest federal directive is an attempt to discredit, condemn and silence important conversations happening in communities and workplaces about anti-racism and about our nation’s history of white supremacy. By banning government support for these discussions, he sends a dangerous message to the country that racism is a fallacy.

“Throughout his time in office, President Trump has made racist statements about Blacks, Latinos and immigrants conveying deep racial animus. His nominees to the federal courts have been overwhelmingly white and male. If there is one place where we need comprehensive discussion and training around anti-racism, it’s inside the halls of the White House and across every level of our federal government.”

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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law — The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination.  Now in its 57th year, the Lawyers’ Committee is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.”  The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes.  For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommitee.org