Federal Class Action Filed to Confront the Erasure of Black Americans and Their Constitutional Standing
Civic advocate Clyde L. Younger of Watertown has filed a federal class action lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and other federal officials, challenging what he calls a “coordinated federal displacement” of Black Americans under the guise of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The complaint asserts that federal agencies have reclassified Black Americans into generalized diversity categories, stripping away constitutional protections and weakening access to education, health care, housing, and civic institutions — without due process or public remedy. This reclassification, the suit argues, erases the distinct civic identity of Black Americans and undermines their standing as a people whose labor, leadership, and sacrifice helped build the foundation of this nation. “This is not just a legal filing — it’s a constitutional reckoning,” said Younger. “We are fighting back against the erasure of Black American history and the dismantling of the institutions we built. Our contributions are not diversity — they are the bedrock of American greatness.”
The urgency of the case was underscored recently, when the Trump administration announced it would cut $22 million in federal grants for schools serving predominantly Black students, declaring such programs unconstitutional.
