Black Aerospace Organization rejects Trump's claim that DEI led to mid-air collision
MIAMI - The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals is pushing back against President Donald Trump's assertion that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may have contributed to a fatal mid-air collision in Washington, D.C.
The organization emphasized that diversity does not mean lowering aviation standards.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, Trump suggested that "bad rules, regulations and other things by the Biden administration" may have played a role in the crash. However, no evidence supports the claim that DEI policies impacted aviation safety.
Titus Sanders, a commercial airline pilot and secretary for the board of directors of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, said all pilots go through the same rigorous training and evaluation process, regardless of background.
"As pilots, we go through the same exact training, we go through the same exact check rides," Sanders said.
"There's not a check ride that's different for a woman, that's different for a man. There's not a check ride that's different for a white man, that's different for an African American. We go through the same exact training and then on top of that, we are always re-evaluated annually to make sure we're remaining proficient and able to do our job."
Sanders emphasized that the organization's mission is to promote diversity in aviation through education and outreach, including an average of 25,000 school visits annually and week-long aviation career education academies across the country, including in South Florida.
"Diversity is not a bad thing and diversity does not lower the bar," Sanders said. "It does not lower the standards. It just provides access and exposure to those who otherwise would not have had it but who are qualified."
Despite raising concerns about DEI, Trump stated that Americans should not be worried about aviation safety.
"I think that there is very little risk, but I think we have to make sure that this never happens again," he said.
Earlier this month, Trump signed a memo titled "Keeping Americans Safe in Aviation," directing the FAA to end all DEI initiatives.
