Earlier this year, a seismic shift began to ripple through the corridors of federal power in Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump, in a move that stunned even seasoned government watchers, launched an aggressive campaign to dismantle federal agencies and remove swathes of civil servants. For many, this was just another round of political posturing. But for Black women—who make up about 12% of the federal workforce, nearly double their representation in the broader U.S. labor force—the consequences have been swift and severe, according to The New York Times.
For generations, federal jobs have served as a reliable path to the middle class for Black Americans, especially Black women. After the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal government actively pursued affirmative action and enforced anti-discrimination laws, opening doors to stable careers, fair pay, and real advancement. These jobs weren’t just paychecks—they were ladders out of poverty and bulwarks against discrimination that was rampant in the private sector. Now, as Trump’s administration pushes its reforms, economists and advocates warn that decades of hard-won progress are at risk of being undone.
One stark example is Peggy Carr, a trailblazing Black woman who dedicated 35 years to the Department of Education. She rose to become the first Black woman commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, serving under six administrations—including Trump’s first term—and earning bipartisan respect. She never imagined her office, tasked with tracking the nation’s student achievement, would be labeled by Trump as "divisive and harmful" or "woke." But in February 2025, her world turned upside down.
As Carr prepared to lead a staff meeting one afternoon, a security guard appeared at her door. Within minutes, her colleagues—some in tears—watched as she was escorted out of the building. "It was like being prosecuted in front of my family—my work family," Carr told The New York Times. "It was like I was being taken out like the trash, the only difference is I was being taken out the front door rather than the back door." Her abrupt dismissal was part of a sweeping drive by the Trump administration to shrink the federal workforce. Tens of thousands have already lost their jobs under this approach, but experts say Black employees, and Black women in particular, are bearing the brunt.
The numbers paint a sobering picture. Between February and July 2025, Black women lost 319,000 jobs across both the public and private sectors, according to gender economist Katica Roy. They were the only major female demographic to experience such steep losses during that five-month period. In contrast, white women gained 142,000 jobs, Hispanic women added 176,000, and white men saw the largest increase, with 365,000 new positions. "Black women are the canaries in the coal mine, the exclusion happens to them first," Roy said. "And if any other cohort thinks it's not coming for them, they're wrong. This is a warning, and it's a stark one."
The trend isn’t confined to government jobs. Trump’s vocal opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs has prompted many corporations to roll back their own DEI initiatives and eliminate related positions—roles where Black women have historically been heavily represented. The ripple effects are being felt far and wide.
According to The New York Times, the Education Department, where Carr worked, was among the first agencies to feel the squeeze in Trump’s second term. More than a quarter of its workforce was Black women. In the initial wave of firings, dozens lost their jobs—many with no direct connection to DEI programs. Their only exposure to such initiatives came through trainings encouraged by their managers, including Trump’s own former education secretary, Betsy DeVos.
It wasn’t just the Education Department. A report by the National Women’s Law Center, using Office of Personnel Management data that was later deleted from public records, found that the hardest-hit agencies were those employing high percentages of women and people of color. Independent agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Internal Revenue Service, where Black women made up nearly a quarter of the workforce, also faced deep reductions. In fact, according to a New York Times analysis, agencies where minorities and women formed the majority—including the Department of Education and USAID—were targeted for the largest workforce cuts or outright elimination.
At higher levels, the administration has moved aggressively to remove high-profile Black leaders, often disparaging them as "incompetent," "corrupt," or mere DEI appointees. The message, critics say, is clear: diversity and inclusion are out, and a new era of "merit"—as defined by the administration—is in.
The White House, for its part, defends Trump’s overhaul as a necessary reform. In July 2025, the Supreme Court cleared the way for mass dismissals across federal agencies, paving the path for the administration’s actions. Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, framed the changes as part of a return to merit. "President Trump is ushering in an economy that will empower all Americans, just as it did during his first term," Fields stated. He argued that "the obsession with divisive DEI initiatives reverses years of strides toward genuine equality." According to Fields, "the policies of the past that artificially bloated the public sector with wasteful jobs are over." He added, "The Trump administration is committed to advancing policies that improve the lives of all Americans."
Yet, labor economists see things differently. Many warn that these cuts threaten to unravel employment gains made by Black workers during and after the pandemic. As of September 1, 2025, overall unemployment in the U.S. remains historically low at 4.2%. But Black Americans are facing a very different reality: unemployment for Black Americans has surged to 7.2%, the highest level since October 2021, according to Dow Jones & Company. The drop in employment is a warning sign for the labor market, one that could have long-lasting consequences for Black workers and their families.
For many Black women, the sense of betrayal is palpable. Federal jobs were supposed to be the great equalizer—a place where hard work and talent could finally be recognized and rewarded, regardless of race. Now, with mass layoffs, targeted removals, and the rollback of DEI programs, that promise feels increasingly hollow.
As the dust settles, the broader implications remain uncertain. Will these changes usher in a new era of meritocracy, as the White House claims? Or will they simply reinforce old patterns of exclusion and inequality? For Black women who have lost jobs, careers, and a sense of belonging, the answer is already painfully clear.
The story of Peggy Carr and thousands like her is a stark reminder: progress, once won, can never be taken for granted. The fate of Black women in the federal workforce stands as both a warning and a call to action for those who believe in fairness, opportunity, and the enduring promise of equality in America.
