Shirley Hopkins, an 81-year-old retiree, known as the "recruitment lady," advocated for Black employment opportunities at the National Institutes of Health. Inspired by her own struggles to find a job, she aimed to create pathways for Black students in Washington, D.C., to join federal internship programs. Her work has been pivotal in helping many secure stable, rewarding federal jobs. However, recent cuts under the Trump administration are jeopardizing these career prospects, endangering a long-established route to middle-class life for Black Americans working in government roles.
"When I was young, I was not able to find employment. I was not going to have it the way it was when I was coming up."
"She didn't say it, but it was like, 'You made it. You moved on up,'" Hopkins remembers her mother expressing pride for her first federal job.
The kind of benefits and job stability in federal positions have historically attracted many Black workers and allowed them to build careers.
The Trump's administration's cuts to government jobs and diversity programs threaten a crucial pathway to middle-class for Black federal workers.
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