Activism

Opinion: Trump’s Undoing of Civil Rights Gains

With quotas installed, mistakes will be made. Innocent legal immigrants will be arrested. A shot of fear is now present in immigrant communities. The scowling Donald Trump is the new face of the Statue of Liberty.

Published

1 year ago

January 2, 2025

Emil Guillermo

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Breaking News: Donald Trump is not a liar.

Not when it comes to immigrants. He authorized ICE to arrest 1,000 of them.

Two weeks in, and Trump has signed more executive orders than ever. He is reshaping the country we thought we had.

And it’s only the beginning, not just for immigrants. But for all of us.

Undoing America

As an American who grew up in the “Civil Rights” era of the ‘60s,

I could not conceive or dream of an “Un-Civil Rights” era.

But here we are, nostalgic for an America where the prevailing belief in fairness was on our side. The people’s side.

Someone asked me the other day why I looked so young. An old guy like me? It was flattering. But how I look isn’t just due to the increased melanin in my skin or my ethnic Filipino Asian-ness.

Part of it too was I have been underutilized — all throughout my life in my various careers. The door opened occasionally for me, but mainly remained shut.

When it did open, I had my chance to prove myself, and I was always proud of what I could show. I worked hard for the little work they allowed me to do, and I’m grateful for that.

But there were never enough spaces. I was often the only Filipino or person of color in the room. And too many times, one of us was deemed enough.

Hard to imagine now in a diverse America. But I’m talking 50 years ago.

Donald Trump’s executive order on affirmative action aims his wrecking ball at the order issued by President Lyndon Johnson in the ‘60s. Johnson’s vision led to more than six decades of trying to erase the White bias in government jobs and contracts. It served as a model to both the public and private sectors.

It created the crack in the door where I got my shot.

Johnson’s order also served as a model for higher education. Those efforts were essentially killed when the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in the Harvard case in 2023.

We all knew that with that ruling, the next step would be public employment and contracts in some fashion. The private sector was already ahead of the pack. McDonald’s, Walmart, and Meta have all ended DEI programs or made changes.

Trump, in his inaugural speech, didn’t dare mention the J6 pardons to come or the unconstitutional act of dismantling birthright citizenship in violation of the 14^th Amendment.

But he was clear when he said he’d get “race and gender out of public life, adding that the standard policy of America is color-blind and merit-based.”

Color blind just means you’re blind folded unless you pledge allegiance to Trump.

Note: I am in New York, appearing in the theatrical premiere of “The Shine Challenge 2025,” by Oakland author Ishmael Reed. The show opens Jan. 30 and runs through mid-February. Come by or tell a friend if you’re in New York. It’s a must-see for Black History Month.

See more here: https://theaterforthenewcity.net/shows/the-shine-challenge-2025/

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist, commentator, speaker and humorist. Watch his mini-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1

Or join him on www patreon.com/emilamok

Emil Guillermo

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a micro-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1

Posts by Emil Guillermo

Up Next

Book Review — In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space

Don't Miss

Opinion: When Hip-Hop Sold Its Soul for a Stack

Emil Guillermo

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a micro-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

Published

5 days ago

March 7, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.