Trump delivers ‘massive’ setbacks to the Black middle class

Despite bold campaign claims of being “the best president for Black Americans since Abraham Lincoln,” President Donald Trump’s second term has launched an aggressive rollback of key pathways that historically fostered the growth of the Black middle class. While he positioned himself as a champion for economic opportunity during the 2024 election cycle, especially for Black communities, the reality under his current administration paints a much darker picture.

“He hasn’t done anything but be harmful to the Black middle class, and to Black Americans in general,” said Dr. Mariam Rashid, associate director of racial equity and justice at the Center for American Progress (CAP), in an interview. “The ripple effects are massive.”

Trump’s campaign rhetoric included promises to strengthen job security, tackle inflation, and boost the economic standing of Black Americans. However, halfway through his first year back in office, many of his policies are doing the opposite.

At the heart of the issue is the federal government itself, a major employer of Black Americans, especially in regions like Maryland and Washington, D.C., where Black federal workers anchor middle-class communities. 

According to March 2024 data, Black Americans made up 19% of the federal workforce despite being only 14% of the general labor force. That number was even higher at agencies like the Department of Education, Treasury, and HUD.

But with the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), mass job cuts were implemented, disproportionately affecting Black professionals.

“These aren’t abstract numbers,” said Rashid. “These are families… When someone loses a federal job, they’re not just losing a paycheck. They’re losing pensions, long-term stability, the ability to send their kids to college, and to retire with dignity.”

Black women, who account for 12% of the federal workforce and are often the primary breadwinners in their households, are being hit especially hard. The elimination of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) programs via executive orders has further slashed roles and opportunities they disproportionately hold.

“What we’re seeing is a systemic assault, cloaked in bureaucratic policy,” Rashid noted. “This administration has pushed a false narrative that we’ve ‘moved past racism.’ But it hasn’t been that long since the Civil Rights Movement. Many of the systems that helped bring Black families into the middle class are being stripped away.”

Rashid says this rollback of DEIA is also sending shockwaves into the private sector, where federal contracts often incentivize inclusion efforts. Now, employers are pulling back on internal diversity initiatives, mentorships, and leadership pipelines for Black employees, critical levers for mobility.

What’s more, a dangerous cultural narrative has resurfaced: the “DEI hire.” This racially charged label undermines Black professionals, casting doubt on their qualifications and minimizing their contributions. 

But Trump’s policy shifts extend far beyond employment. The administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) includes student loan caps for graduate programs, posing significant barriers for aspiring Black doctors, lawyers and professionals in high-cost degree fields. As Rashid explained, “We’re watching generational mobility get cut off at the knees.”

For those seeking entrepreneurship, federal support systems have also been weakened. The shuttering of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), once a cornerstone for Black business growth and access to federal contracts, has effectively dismantled a critical wealth-building mechanism.

And on the housing front, Trump’s repeal of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule and lack of action on appraisal bias have deepened the Black-white homeownership gap. For Black families who already struggle with systemic lending disparities and lower property valuations, these changes strike at the very core of generational wealth creation.

As jobs are lost, social support systems have simultaneously been slashed. “People are falling through the cracks,” Rashid warned. “There’s no safety net if you lose your job, and now even the programs that catch you — public housing, food assistance, health care — are being gutted.”

Rashid emphasized the broader consequences of this agenda. “We’re not just talking about the Black community here. These policies weaken our entire economy. When a major segment of the workforce loses stability, the effects are national.”

CAP is actively researching how these changes may further skew the tax code and other “race-neutral” policies that, in practice, continue to disadvantage communities of color. “The tax code already favors wealth over wages,” Rashid said. “The Black middle class depends on income, not investments. So they’re getting squeezed at every angle.”

While Trump’s administration claims progress, the erosion of long-standing pathways to economic stability for Black Americans tells another story. What’s unfolding is not simply neglect. It is, as CAP’s latest article outlines, a direct threat to the Black middle class and the greater national economy.

“This isn’t about partisanship,” Rashid concluded. “It’s about accountability. These aren’t just policies. They’re people’s lives.”

For more information, visit www.americanprogress.org.

Mariam Rashid, the associate director of racial equity and justice at American Progress, is skilled in policy analysis, geospatial analysis, data and research management, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and evaluation research.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader response at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.