Metro Atlanta activists react to Trump's repeal of segregated facilities ban in federal contracts
The repeal means the federal government does not have to prohibit contractors from allowing segregated workspaces.
'Never thought I'd see a headline like that,' Georgia NAACP President, Gerald Griggs told Channel 2's Audrey Washington on Wednesday.
'It's a step towards allowing segregation,' said Georgia State Law professor Tanya Washington.
In the public memo, issued by the General Services Administration, there is a segregation clause.
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The clause repeals President Lyndon B. Johnson's signed executive order that banned federal contractors from having segregated work areas, drinking fountains and bathrooms.
The memo credited President Donald Trump with the change, stating the ban's repeal was in step with Trump's order on DEI.
'It is the camel's nose under the tent. It is not an end it is a beginning,' Professor Washington said.
'We also may be looking at efforts to dismantle the 1964 civil rights act,' she added.
Washington said whether a business has a government contract or not, that business must still adhere to federal and state laws; she said simply put, segregated facilities are illegal.
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'I'm hopeful that this was an oversight by the administration as to what federal law actually says,' Griggs said.
'But I think there'll be litigation on this,' Griggs added.
'So, this doesn't mean we'll see for colored only and for whites only signs, right?' Washington asked.
'Well, if you read the guidance from the memo there's a possibility of that but if you read the law, no its not possible,' Griggs explained.
The memo also mentioned affirmative action and gender identity.
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