Press Releases

#StayWoke

CBC Releases List of 100 Actions Taken by President Trump During His First 100 Days in Office

Washington, April 28, 2017
WASHINGTON – Today, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) released a list of 100 actions taken by President Trump and his Administration during his first 100 days in office. The list, titled “What Did Trump Do?: The First-100-Days, #StayWoke List,” is a special edition of CBC’s “What Did Trump Do?” rapid response documents and includes actions across issues areas such as education, healthcare, and justice. The list is part of the CBC’s effort to listen, involve, and mobilize young leaders during the 115th Congress, an effort that began a few weeks ago with the launch of CBC’s tour of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, #CBCOnTheYard.

“More and more we’re starting to see democracy at work,” said CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond. “People of all ages and races, including many young people of color, are standing up and speaking out about this Administration’s actions and how they will hurt our communities and the country. President Trump says he wants to make America great again but in our view the programs and policies he’s implementing will do the opposite. We hope this list will help those who are engaged and those who aren’t stay woke because our democracy is at stake.” 

The phrase #StayWoke or “stay awake” is often used by African Americans to remind themselves and those around them to stay focused on what’s really being said and done to their community. As a result of the election of President Trump, the phrase has taken on new meaning; people of all ages and races are using it to remind themselves and those around them to stay focused on the programs and policies being implemented by this Administration.

While some of the actions on the list have received a lot of media attention, many of them have not. For example, action “6” in the “Crime, Justice, and Reform” section states:
  • 6. Attorney General Sessions announced that the Department of Justice was ending the National Commission on Forensic Science, a commission designed to bring higher scientific standards to forensic techniques to ensure that the people who actually committed the crime are convicted.
Other actions include suspicious investments, conflicting interests, and questionable hires. Below are a few more examples from the list.
  • 30. President Trump appointed Candice E. Jackson as acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education. Ms. Jackson once said affirmative action “promotes racial discrimination,” and claimed she was discriminated against for being white.
  • 31. Secretary DeVos hired Robert Eitel, an official with deep ties to the for-profit-college industry, to be a special assistant at the Department of Education. This hire presents a serious conflict of interest, and raises questions about whether Eitel can put students’ needs above the interests of his former colleagues.
To read the full list of actions, click here. On Tuesday, May 2, the CBC will host a #StayWoke Twitter town hall and tweetstorm to talk about the actions taken by President Trump and his Administration and what CBC is doing to combat those actions. Time, member participants, and other details about the town hall and tweetstorm will be released soon. President Trump’s hundredth day in office is tomorrow, Saturday, April 29.

In addition to the CBC, the following committee and congressional offices led by CBC members contributed to the list: House Committee on the Judiciary (Office of Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr.), House Committee on Financial Services (Office of Ranking Member Maxine Waters), House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Office of Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson), House Committee on Education and the Workforce (Office of Ranking Member Bobby Scott), House Committee on Homeland Security (Office of Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson), House Committee on Oversight (Ranking Member Elijah Cummings), and Office of Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Ill.)