First Black woman to head Library of Congress fired by Trump over DEI concerns

The White House said President Donald Trump fired the archetypal Black woman to tally the Library of Congress implicit his concerns astir her absorption connected diversity, equity and inclusion. Trump had longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden dismissed via email precocious connected May 8, drafting wide condemnation from her supporters successful Congress. Hayden holds a PhD successful room sciences and was nominated to the station successful 2016 by then-President Barack Obama.

Speaking to reporters connected May 9, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump felt taxpayers would beryllium amended served without her. Hayden was some the archetypal Black American and the archetypal pistillate to caput the library, which is the world's largest. Trump has repeatedly targeted programs and radical who helium considers improperly advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Many conservatives implicit the past respective years person besides fought with librarians nationally implicit the availability of books deemed excessively sexually explicit for young people. "We felt she did not acceptable the needs of the American people. There were rather concerning things that she had done astatine the Library of Congress successful the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books successful the room for children," Leavitt said. Hayden appeared earlier a Congressional committee earlier successful the week, facing questions from a room modernization task whose outgo has ballooned portion completion deadlines person been repeatedly delayed. The room preserves millions of books, films, photos and manuscripts. It's besides location to the U.S. Copyright Office. Hayden had besides been starring the "Of the People" inaugural to bring much works from Black, indigenous, Hispanic oregon Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and different communities of colour into the library's collections. She had often spoken astir the awe-inspiring occupation she had to assistance sphere and support American history. The nonprofit American Accountability Foundation, a blimpish radical dedicated to protecting Trump's "America First" initiatives, had been pushing for Hayden's firing, and celebrated her departure arsenic a decision for the "woke, anti-Trump" bureaucracy.

Hayden was serving a 10-year word arsenic the Librarian of Congress, and would person been up for reappointment adjacent year.

Several Democratic members of Congress criticized her firing.

"While President Trump wants to prohibition books and archer Americans what to work – oregon not to work astatine all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her vocation to making speechmaking and the pursuit of cognition disposable to everyone," New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich said successful a statement.

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected USA TODAY: Trump fires semipermanent Librarian of Congress implicit DEI concerns