Board of Directors Decries Attack on Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity
Sacramento, California – January 23, 2025 – In response to the Executive Order issued by President Trump on January 21, 2025, dismantling Executive Order 11246 and impacting affirmative action and DEI initiatives, the Board of Directors who oversee the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program (NELP) has condemned the action as an attack on civil rights and equal opportunity.
“As leaders of the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program, we cannot stay silent in the face of this attack on civil rights and equal opportunity,” stated Scott Syphax, Board Chair of the Nehemiah Leaders Programs, the nonprofit organization that runs the NELP program. “The executive order is not about restoring fairness—it is about preserving privilege. It is a blatant effort to erase progress, suppress economic mobility, and roll back the hard-earned victories that have made leadership in this country more representative and inclusive.”
For over a decade, NELP has focused on creating opportunities for diverse leaders. With a network of over 250 professionals, NELP alumni hold positions as CEOs, investors, policymakers, nonprofit executives, and corporate leaders. The organization emphasizes that this executive order threatens to undo the progress made in diversifying leadership roles.
The historical context of Executive Order 11246, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, emphasized that it was a necessary step to ensure equal opportunity and break down systemic barriers. NELP argues that the current executive order, under the guise of “colorblindness,” will reinstate advantages for those who have historically benefited from existing systems.
NELP refutes the argument that DEI initiatives constitute “reverse discrimination,” explaining that these policies aim to ensure equitable access to opportunities, not to take them away. The organization emphasizes that without intentional action, hiring and promotion practices often perpetuate existing networks that have historically excluded people of color and women.
The organization’s Directors outline the potential negative consequences of the executive order, including:
- Loss of federal contracts for minority- and women-owned businesses.
- Decline in workplace diversity.
- Increased economic inequality.
- Negative impact on innovation and national competitiveness.
- Weakening of strategic advantages within national security agencies.
NELP reaffirms its commitment to promoting leadership based on ability, integrity, and vision, and calls for action from business leaders, policymakers, universities, and advocacy organizations to challenge this rollback of civil rights protections.
“This is not the time for silence. It is not the time for neutrality,” stated Syphax. “This rollback of civil rights protections cannot go unchallenged. Diversity is not a burden. Inclusion is not a favor. Equity is not a threat. This is about the fundamental character of this country. Leadership should belong to those who earn it, not just those who inherit it. That is the principle NELP stands for, and we will not back down.”