A recap of Trump's attacks on civil rights, keeping immigrant employees safe, and words from the wise on moving forward.

“we choose our freedom

we keep each other’s souls intact

safer than any cage of empire

we know something better is coming

we are each other’s safety 

we see each other’s freest selves

we will hold on tight, in public, in private

over and underground”

Excerpt from “it is our turn to carry the world,” a community safety ritual by adrienne marie brown

“When it all gets to be too much, remember that being informed is not the same as being flooded. If we are genuinely working to build a better world in the face of overwhelming harm, we have the urgent and enduring responsibility to use the tools at our disposal to be grounded, to be well, and to be in community.”

Lily Zheng, LinkedIn 

“Stay rooted. Stay clear. Know your why, pick your lane, and clarify your commitments. Move with people who inspire you to be courageous. Be that person for others. Our commitment to each other is stronger than their allegiance to wealth and power.”

Michelle MiJung Kim, LinkedIn

Rupture and Repair in the Workplace

Tuesday, February 11 | 3-5pm EST

This two-hour intensive session focuses on navigating moments of tension and conflict as they arise in professional settings. Participants will learn practical, real-time strategies for de-escalating situations, intervening effectively, and rebuilding trust after moments of rupture.

Through hands-on practice and scenario work, we’ll develop a personalized toolkit for addressing workplace tensions while maintaining cultural awareness and psychological safety.

Wasting no time, the Trump administration has made a series of sweeping changes to our civil rights since entering office on Tuesday. Here’s a quick, high-level list of the changes already implemented:

• Disbanded federal agency equity teams and DEI steering committee established under Biden in 2023

• Eliminated all federal DEI programs, offices, and positions

• Removed DEI commitment considerations from federal hiring process

• Established binary sex classification policy (male/female)

• Instituted regulatory freeze on prior DEI-related rules

• Required review of federal employment practices, union contracts, and training policies to align with DEI program elimination

Read more about these changes and how they’ll impact nonprofit organizations.

This fake Linkedin profile exposed the racial inequity in hiring. “The fake profile received interview invitations 57.9% of the time, while Jones only received 8.9%. When it came to job ghosting, Jones was more likely to be left on as Osbourne had a 1.7% response rate, compared to Jones’s 15.8%.” POCIT >

Here’s how labor can fight back against Trump’s mass deportation agenda. Workers and unions face a dual challenge: They must defend their undocumented co-workers and ensure that no crackdown will deter their ongoing battles to improve workers’ lives. Labor Notes >

Employee feelings of respect at work drop to record low. Managers can build respect, engagement and well-being by communicating with team members frequently and meaningfully. HR Dive >

Nearly half of managers predict layoffs in 2025. 45%of U.S. managers said their company will likely lay off workers in 2025. Companies may also consider cutting costs by reducing salaries, benefits, bonuses and office space. HR Dive >

Corporate America hired more Black workers. Then it stopped. Black workers are losing share at big US public companies as conservatives amp up their anti-diversity push ahead of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. Bloomberg >

Women are officially the economy’s power players—outpacing men in both income and spending growth. Women are a driving force in America’s economy, but still lag behind men in earnings at work, earning just 83.6% of what men receive each week, on average. Fortune >

FTC orders AI accessibility startup accessiBe to pay $1M for misleading advertising. The company, which has raised over $58.5M in venture capital, overstated the capabilities of its tools, acted defensively when called in by disability advocacy groups, and intentionally misrepresented itself in ads, making accessibility worse for many users and seemingly taking advantage of goodwill initiatives to make the internet more accessible. TechCrunch >

12 companies that caved to the right's anti-woke agenda and rolled back DEI programs. A recap of the major companies that discarded a significant part (or all) of their equity and inclusion initiatives during 2024. them >

The LA fires could change the insurance industry. The fires raging in the Los Angeles area could cause as much as $250 billion in economic damage and become one of the worst natural catastrophes in history. Customers need wildfire protection, and insurers need to find a new way to provide it. HBR >

How to manage a distributed team through natural disasters (and other crises). Whether your concern is a disruption of hours, weeks, or months, there are practical, prudent steps to take now that can enhance day-to-day business performance while fostering robustness and resilience. HBR >