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.

In our first year, Black Girl Caucus brought Black women together, kicked off We Choose Us, and proved there’s real momentum behind building power with intention.

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 saw this coming. We’ve been saying it because it was already happening to us. We warned that electing this administration would come at the highest cost: our democracy itself...