On Wednesday, September 24, as part of Congressional Black Caucus Week 2025, Council Member Wala Blegay (District 6) is hosting a timely and urgent conversation to spotlight the crisis Black workers and businesses are facing as federal jobs and contracts disappear.
The event, Losing Ground: Federal Workforce Cuts & the Future of Black Enterprise, will take place from 5:30–7:30 PM at Capitol Square, 1500 East Capitol St NE, Washington, DC. More than 400 people have already registered to attend.
For generations, federal employment and contracting opportunities have been a cornerstone of stability and wealth-building for African-American families and entrepreneurs. Today, mass layoffs of Black federal workers and the loss of critical government contracts are undermining that foundation, threatening communities, weakening small businesses, and deepening inequality.
“Federal jobs and contracts are more than paychecks,” said Council Member Blegay. “They are lifelines for families and pathways to economic mobility for Black communities. As these opportunities are stripped away, we must fight back to protect our progress and secure a stronger future.”
The event will feature keynote speaker and Florida Congresswoman, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, alongside a distinguished panel that includes Jamar Brown, the executive director of Color of Change, and Ottis Johnson, national vice president of AFGE District 14. The panel will be moderated by Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of The Washington Informer.
The program will address the disproportionate impact of federal job cuts and contract losses on Black communities, the connection between federal employment, housing, and long-term wealth-building, the role of advocacy, labor, and business in creating solutions, and action steps to protect and expand opportunities for Black workers and entrepreneurs.