Carla Hayden Breaks Her Silence After Sudden Termination As First Black Librarian of Congress
Dr. Carla Hayden, the first woman and first Black woman to serve as Librarian of Congress, is finally speaking out after being abruptly fired by the Trump administration with no warning and minimal explanation. After nearly a decade of service under Presidents Obama, Trump (during his first term), and Biden, Hayden says she learned about her dismissal via a two-sentence email.
“I’ve received no communication directly, except for that one email,” Hayden told CBS Sunday. The message from Trent Morse, deputy director of the White House Office of Personnel, simply read: “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”
No Warnings, No Conversations—Just Gone
Hayden says she was never given advance notice and no one from the White House spoke with her before or after the firing. “No one talked to me directly at all,” she added, underscoring the lack of basic professional courtesy, despite her unblemished record and decades of public service.
Former Biden administration official Yemisi Egbewole called the dismissal “disrespectful and extreme.” “They treated her like she was disposable,” she told theGrio. “This is an example of somebody who’s a trailblazer… who did it with dignity, vision, excellence, no complaints, no controversies.”
DEI Backlash or Deliberate Targeting?
Political analyst Reecie Colbert said the move was in line with Trump’s broader efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government. “All they see is a Black person, and they don’t want Black people in these roles—period,” she said. “It’s disgusting, it’s racist.”
Hayden’s removal adds to growing concerns that the administration is using mass firings as a political purge. Since Trump’s return to office, tens of thousands of federal workers have been terminated, including many in DEI-related roles. Several of those dismissals are now being challenged in court.
What It Says to the Federal Workforce
Egbewole argues Hayden’s firing sends a chilling message to other federal workers—especially women and people of color. “When a Black woman at the top of her field is treated like this, what message is it sending to the rest of the federal workforce?” she asked.
She added, “They’re just telling you that competence and service, it doesn’t matter if you don’t fit their mold, and that mold is starting to look more and more homogeneous in a very Anglo-Saxon kind of way.”
A Loss That Goes Beyond One Office
Carla Hayden wasn’t just a historic appointment—she was widely respected across political lines for her steady, visionary leadership of one of America’s most important institutions. Her sudden removal marks not only a personal loss for the Library of Congress, but also a troubling sign of how this administration views qualified public servants who break the mold.
As Egbewole put it: “Dr. Hayden deserves better. Federal workers in general deserve better. And frankly, at this point, so does the country.”
