Social Impact

In recent years, we have watched Black women step into positions of visible leadership in unprecedented numbers, in courtrooms, classrooms, city halls, and boardrooms. These moments matter not simply because they break barriers, but because they redefine what authority looks like and who is trusted to wield it. What we talk about less is what follows.

Trump’s proposed changes to professional degree classifications are being framed as routine updates—a neutral recalibration of what counts as a “professional” program. But once you look past the bureaucratic wording, the impact becomes clear: the degrees and pathways most used by Black women are the ones being redefined...

Black women face breast cancer differently—and the cost is too high. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, while Black women are diagnosed at similar rates to white women, we are 40% more likely to die from the disease (bcrf.org).

Because if Karine Jean-Pierre, one of the most visible Black women in American politics, says she felt “betrayed” and chose to walk away… where does that leave the rest of us? So many questions. No easy answers.