Part One of a Two-Part Series on “Patterned Lawfare”
By InnerKwest Editorial Board | September 1, 2025
Introduction
Across federal agencies, courts, and cultural institutions, a disturbing pattern is unfolding: Black women in positions of authority are being targeted, removed, or harassed under the guise of “policy” or “procedure.” These aren’t isolated incidents. They form a consistent chain—a patterned lawfare—that undermines democracy by erasing the very figures who symbolize resilience, equity, and progress.
This first installment examines the individuals caught in the crosshairs. Their stories reveal a clear throughline: institutional levers are being weaponized to diminish Black women’s leadership and silence their influence.
Lisa Cook — Federal Reserve Governor
Lisa Cook, the first Black woman on the Federal Reserve Board, represents a milestone in economic governance. Yet almost immediately after her appointment, she was targeted.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)—a technical regulator with little to do with monetary policy—accused Cook of “mortgage fraud” based on alleged inconsistencies in decades-old filings. These claims became a public spectacle, complete with presidential insults and press campaigns branding her as unfit.
Cook has since filed suit, asserting that her removal attempt violates federal protections for independent agencies. Her case is not about paperwork; it’s about power—and the use of mortgages as a political cudgel.
Gwynne Wilcox — National Labor Relations Board
As the first Black woman to serve on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Gwynne Wilcox was abruptly fired in early 2025. Statutorily, NLRB members can only be removed “for cause.” No such cause was provided.
Her ouster left the board without a quorum, freezing the agency’s ability to enforce labor protections for millions of American workers. Courts initially sided with Wilcox, ordering reinstatement, but higher appeals have delayed justice.
In Wilcox’s case, the target wasn’t just a person—it was the functioning of labor law itself.
Letitia James — New York Attorney General
Letitia James, who made history by holding Donald Trump accountable in civil court, has been relentlessly pursued in return.
The FHFA and DOJ opened investigations into her mortgage records, alleging misrepresentations. Trump publicly labeled her “a crook.” Ed Martin, the head of the DOJ’s so-called “Weaponization Working Group,” even staged a media stunt outside her home—a clear act of intimidation.
Twenty-one state attorneys general have condemned these moves as harassment. Yet the spectacle continues, spotlighting how legal institutions can be twisted against those who dare to challenge power.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett — Texas
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett of Texas, known for her fiery advocacy, now faces a different weapon: gerrymandering.
Under newly drawn maps, Crockett’s home was carved out of her district, stripping her of her natural base of influence. Though couched as “routine redistricting,” the effect is unmistakable—diluting Black political power and sidelining one of its most outspoken voices.
For Crockett, the erasure is geographical. For her constituents, it is the loss of representation.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — Supreme Court
On the nation’s highest court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has endured an onslaught of attacks. During her confirmation, critics smeared her as a “radical activist.” Now, on the bench, her dissents are met not just with legal counterpoints but with personal rebukes from her colleagues.
She has warned that these attacks are deliberate, designed to intimidate and silence. The fact that even a Supreme Court Justice—supposedly insulated from politics—is subjected to such pressures underscores the breadth of this campaign.
Carla Hayden — Librarian of Congress
Carla Hayden, the first Black woman and the first professional librarian to lead the Library of Congress, was fired by email a year before her term was set to expire.
Conservative critics had accused her of promoting a “woke agenda.” Her real offense was making the nation’s library more accessible and inclusive.
She was replaced by a Trump loyalist, breaking long-held traditions of independence in one of the nation’s most revered cultural institutions.
EEOC Commissioners — Charlotte Burrows & Jocelyn Samuels
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) exists to protect workers against discrimination. But in January 2025, two of its most senior leaders—Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels—were summarily fired.
Their removal, unlawful under the statutes that govern the EEOC, left the commission without a quorum. For months, the agency charged with enforcing anti-discrimination laws could not act.
Burrows and Samuels were not just commissioners—they were guardians of equity. Removing them sent a message: civil rights enforcement can be switched off at will.
Conclusion: Erased in Plain Sight
From Lisa Cook’s mortgage battle to Carla Hayden’s email dismissal, these stories share a common DNA. Bureaucratic rules are twisted, statutes ignored, and narratives spun—not to root out corruption, but to root out presence.
This is not about isolated disputes. It is a coordinated pattern: a patterned lawfare.
Part Two of this series will move beyond the individuals to examine the machinery: how DEI rollbacks displaced over 300,000 Black women from the workforce, how mortgages became the “low-hanging fruit” of political weaponization, and how entire agencies are being bent into tools of erasure.
The message is clear. Black women in power are being erased in plain sight. The question is whether the nation is willing to see it—and to resist.
Share this story. Comment. Archive it. This is the record, and erasure thrives in silence.
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