Dallas and Fort Worth end their diversity efforts to keep federal funding

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Two of Texas’ largest cities ended their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts this week to preserve hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.

The Dallas and Fort Worth city councils said the shift was needed to align with the Trump administration, which has made ending such initiatives a top priority. The votes follow similar decisions by state agencies, universities and school districts across the state and country.

Other Texas cities, including Houston, San Antonio and Austin have yet to take similar action.

Dallas City Manager Kimberly Tolbert on Wednesday said she has directed all city departments to stop using policies and programs considering race, gender, ethnicity, religion or national origin while allocating funds or benefits.

“Compliance ensures that we are accountable, transparent and eligible for the resources that we know our community deserves,” Tolbert said.

The Dallas City Council in June authorized Tolbert to review and evaluate city programs to be in compliance with the federal directives and pause any initiatives that do not comply with regulations.

It is unclear how the changes would affect Dallas’s office of equity and inclusion. The office was created in 2018 to create access and opportunities for underserved members of the community. Dallas officials did not respond to interview requests.

The Dallas Morning News reported the city received about $305 million annually from the federal government in grants.

The vote in Fort Worth followed five hours of emotionally charged public comment, according to the Fort Worth Report. The council voted 7-4, with all three Black council members — Mia Hall, Chris Nettles and Deborah Peoples — voting no. Elizabeth Beck who is white also voted against the elimination of the programs.

Fort Worth City Manager Jay Chapa said the city would need to increase its property tax rate by about four cents per $100 to account for lost revenue.

Immediately after voting to suspend their DEI initiatives, the Fort Worth council voted to create a small business development program to help mitigate any adverse effects from removing specific economic incentives for minority and women-owned businesses.

Austin officials said they were aware of the change in federal policy and believe the city is in compliance with all rules and laws.

“The City of Austin’s law department is evaluating all related city programs and, as of today, we are in compliance with federal requirements,” said T.C. Broadnax, the city manager. “Federal funding is critical in our efforts to provide programs that support Austinites and keep our city healthy, resilient, and thriving.”

San Antonio's city manager echoed Broadnax.

“The City of San Antonio continues to evaluate all relevant programs to ensure compliance with federal requirements," Erik Walsh said in a statement.

Some cities elsewhere have pushed back against the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Baltimore, along with the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, filed a lawsuit against the administration’s directive ordering cities to eliminate DEI initiatives or lose federal funding.

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