In case it wasn’t already egregiously obvious, the White House is shamelessly showing that diversity is not part of its vision. According to USA Today, President Donald Trump has fired Carla Hayden, the first Black American and the first woman to lead the Library of Congress, claiming her DEI work “no longer aligns” with the administration’s goals.

The decision, delivered via email late on May 8, abruptly ended Hayden’s historic 10-year term, just one year before she was up for reappointment.

Hayden, a Barack Obama appointee, has led the library since 2016 and brought with her decades of expertise and a Ph.D. in library sciences. Her removal is yet another ploy and the latest example of the Trump administration’s ongoing push to dismantle equity-focused leadership and programming across government institutions.

At a May 9 press briefing, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Hayden was dismissed specifically because of her DEI efforts.

“We felt she did not fit the needs of the American people,” Leavitt said. “There were quite concerning things that she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.”

During her tenure, Hayden prioritized inclusion through the “Of the People” initiative, which expanded the library’s collections to include more works from Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and other communities of color. She also championed books by diverse authors, ensuring that the nation’s largest public library reflected the full scope of American voices.

Trump, however, has made it clear that such efforts are no longer welcome under his leadership. The Trump administration has repeatedly targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion, not just in libraries, but across schools, federal agencies, and public programs. The firing of Hayden is part of that broader agenda.

As reported by USA Today, the American Accountability Foundation—a conservative organization aligned with Trump’s “America First” platform—had actively lobbied for Hayden’s dismissal. The group celebrated her firing as a step toward purging “woke” leadership from key institutions.

This showcases the continued effort by far-right groups to strip libraries of materials they label as “inappropriate,” particularly works centering on gender, sexuality, and race. Under Hayden’s leadership, the Library of Congress stood in direct opposition to these campaigns, preserving access to a wide range of literature for all readers, including youth.

Hayden’s Legacy: Access, Accuracy, and Representation

The Library of Congress, home to millions of books, films, manuscripts, and photographs—as well as the U.S. Copyright Office—served as a platform for Hayden’s mission to document and preserve the richness of American history. Her vision prioritized access, accuracy, and representation, values now being stripped away under the current administration.

She recently testified before Congress about a modernization project whose timeline and cost had expanded. Still, her leadership remained focused on legacy-building through cultural preservation and inclusion.

In USA Today, several Democratic lawmakers condemned Trump’s move. Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico issued a statement praising Hayden’s lifelong dedication to literacy and intellectual freedom:

“While President Trump wants to ban books and tell Americans what to read – or not to read at all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone.”

Hayden’s removal sends a firm message: diversity, equity, and inclusion are being erased from the highest levels of American cultural institutions, with no room for compromise.

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