Dismantling the Dream: What Really Happened in January 2025
From the series First They Came for the Calendar
Return to “First They Came for the Calendar” series hub
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the administration didn’t just ignore his legacy—it erased it.
Every January, we pause as a nation to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—his courage, his moral clarity, his vision of justice.
It’s not just a federal holiday. It’s a moment of national meaning.
A micro-moment that invites reflection, community, and resolve.
But this year, something else happened.
While millions prepared to honor Dr. King’s legacy, the Trump administration launched a coordinated effort to dismantle the very values he fought for.
And they did it the same week we were supposed to be celebrating him.
What Was Signed
Executive Order 14151 – "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing"
Signed: January 20, 2025 – Inauguration Day
This order eliminated all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across every agency.
It required:
All DEI-related jobs to be eliminated or reassigned
All DEI content to be scrubbed from federal websites
A list of every employee involved in DEI or environmental justice to be compiled within 60 days
This wasn’t about cost savings or policy streamlining—it was an ideological purge.
DEI wasn’t defunded. It was declared illegitimate.
Executive Order 14173 – "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity"
Signed: January 21, 2025
This order revoked Executive Order 11246, a foundational civil rights protection dating back to 1965.
It:
Ended federal requirements for affirmative action in contracting
Removed “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” from contractor protections
Lifted bans on segregated facilities for federal contractors
In one stroke, decades of anti-discrimination protections were undone—not with a vote, but with a pen.
What Was Carried Out
Office of Personnel Management (OPM):
Agencies were ordered to place DEI employees on paid leave, freeze hiring, and submit Reduction-in-Force (RIF) plans.
Thousands of public servants—many mid-project, many with specialized equity roles—were sidelined overnight.
Source →
Department of Education:
Immediately began removing DEI content from federal websites, dismantling internal equity offices, and canceling DEI-aligned technical assistance for schools.
Source →
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA):
Suspended all internal recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as well as Black History Month programming—days before it began.
Source →
This wasn’t subtle. It was systematic.
And the timing spoke volumes.
THX Framework View: What Was Really Lost
The THX frameworks help us understand not just what was removed, but how it felt—and why it matters.
Utility Losses (from the 12 Utilities Framework):
The 12 Utilities measure whether an experience is useful, fair, and functional. Each utility represents a core human need.
Clarity – Confusing changes, contradictory messaging, and vanishing websites left the public in the dark
Security – Legal protections were revoked for LGBTQ+ individuals and others—turning once-protected roles into risky ones
Closure – Events meant to honor Dr. King were canceled, leaving a vacuum where healing and inspiration should have been
PERMAH Disruption
PERMAH is a model of human flourishing from positive psychology:
Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Achievement, Health & Wellbeing
Meaning – MLK Day isn’t symbolic; it’s soul work. That meaning was severed from policy.
Relationship – DEI’s removal created fear and fragmentation—especially for marginalized federal workers.
Health & Wellbeing – Sudden job uncertainty, loss of purpose, and erasure of community values caused emotional and psychological harm.
Admiration Equation Undone
The Admiration Equation explains how people come to feel deep loyalty: through repeated, multi-sensory moments that evoke awe, admiration of skill, gratitude, and goodness.
But this moment—which should have evoked gratitude and awe in honoring Dr. King—was hijacked.
Instead of inspiring stories of progress, we witnessed systemic erasure.
Instead of public admiration, we felt public amputation.
Prospect Theory in Action
Prospect Theory tells us that people feel losses more intensely than gains.
So when something meaningful—like recognition, belonging, or protection—is taken away, the pain is sharper than if it had never existed at all.
This wasn’t just a denial of progress.
It was the revocation of dignity, timed for maximum disorientation.
Let’s Call It What It Is
This wasn’t accidental timing.
You don’t dismantle civil rights infrastructure the week of MLK Day and call it a coincidence.
This was messaging through subtraction.
An emotional strike meant to disorient and discourage.
But naming the pattern gives us power.
That’s what this series is about.
🔜 Next: February – Scrubbing Black History
Because the pattern didn’t stop in January.
And if we keep mapping it, we might just stop it before it goes further.
As Juneteenth approaches it will be interesting to see what further dismantling is done. This is one of the newest federal holidays and I fully expect it to be removed or renamed.