West Palm Beach mayor urges strategic federal engagement, recommends rebranding DEI to protect local programs

Mayor Keith James urged a strategic, data-driven approach for city leaders engaging with the federal government and recommended pragmatic messaging changes for local diversity programs in light of shifting national politics.

Speaking on the City Center podcast, James said Black mayors should "not be the face of opposition to this new administration" and instead should conduct a stress test of how proposed federal policy changes could affect local grants and programs. "We need to do that stress test and and have that data," he said, adding that mayors should present that data to local business leaders and ask for their help in advocating for their cities.

On program messaging, James suggested being pragmatic about terminology: "Even though we may feel, strongly feel that, DEI diversity, equality, and inclusion programs are important, let's be realistic and change the name. I mean and and, you know, let's not call it DEI. Call it something else that is more palatable to, to to the taste." He framed this as a pragmatic step to maintain programs' benefits without becoming embroiled in national political fights.

James also referenced the city's geographic proximity to Mar-a-Lago and said that access to national leaders can be an opportunity to advance local priorities; he said the city supplies water to Mar-a-Lago and cited interactions with the White House as an avenue to raise local issues.

Discussion only: the mayor recommended a tactical approach to federal engagement and messaging; he did not commit the city to renaming any specific program or to particular lobbying actions in the interview.

What to watch: whether the city pursues formal stress-testing of federal-policy scenarios or alters the branding of local programs publicly.