By Dedrick Asante-Muhammad

When President Trump attempted to remove Federal Reserve Gov. Dr. Lisa D. Cook from her post, he didn’t just target one individual. He threatened the independence of the Federal Reserve and sent a chilling message to every leader serving in public life: no matter your qualifications, your service is never safe from political retribution.

By attacking the Federal Reserve’s independence, the 47th president is putting the economy in danger — and attacking yet another qualified Black leader. Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Trump’s attack on Cook is also yet another attempt to delegitimize Black leadership across the highest levels of American government. That’s why my organization, the Joint Center — America’s leading Black think tank — convened a coalition of leading civil rights, economic justice and policy organizations to stand with Cook and push back.

Dedrick Asante-Muhammad is an associate fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies and president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s Black think tank. Credit: Courtesy photo

Cook’s credentials are beyond dispute. She’s a world-class economist who’s advised governments during global crises, served at multiple levels of the Federal Reserve system and earned acclaim as a professor at Michigan State University.

She was elected by Midwestern community bankers to the boards of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago — proof of the broad trust she’s earned across the financial community.

In 2022, Cook made history as the first Black woman appointed to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Her appointment was a breakthrough for Black representation in economic governance. Today, that breakthrough is under threat.

President Trump’s attempt to force her out is part of a broader pattern. Time and again, he’s sought to discredit and remove Black leaders from positions of power — from insulting Congresswoman Maxine Waters by calling her “low IQ” to attacking prosecutors like Letitia James and Fani Willis, undermining federal judges like Tanya Chutkan, and dismissing the leadership of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Trump has also ignored the will of Washington, D.C., residents and Mayor Muriel Bowser by ordering National Guard troops into the city’s streets.

These attacks are not random. They’re part of a deliberate strategy to weaken and delegitimize Black leadership across our institutions — from the courts to the military to economic governance.

The attack on Cook marks a dangerous escalation. The Federal Reserve is one of the most important independent institutions in our democracy. It safeguards our economy and makes decisions that affect virtually every family and business in this country.

Attacking the tenure of a Federal Reserve governor — especially one as qualified and effective as Cook — undermines that independence and destabilizes the very system Trump claims to protect.

We cannot allow this to stand.

In moments like this, silence is complicity. That is why we are calling on policymakers, civic leaders, and the public to speak out — not just in defense of Cook, but in defense of every public servant facing illegitimate harassment as part of a politically motivated attack.

The coalition’s message is simple: Cook has earned her position through expertise, service and integrity. She should be allowed to continue her work without intimidation or political interference.

If we fail to take action now, we risk sending a dangerous message to future generations of leaders: No matter how qualified you are, your leadership can be erased at the whim of those in power. We also risk losing some of the small gains in Black political representation that has emerged over the last 30 years.

We must not let that message stand.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.