Dr. Carla Hayden, a trailblazing librarian of Congress, was fired by President Trump last month.

Only 14 Americans have ever held the position.

I traveled to Baltimore to speak with her about being blindsided by the decision,

the administration's ongoing efforts to reshape key institutions,

and why she intends to keep speaking out.

The report is part of our series, Art in Action,

exploring the intersection of art and democracy as part of our canvas coverage.

Dr. Carla Hayden is a familiar and cherished presence at the sprawling Enoch Pratt Free Library and its 21 branches,

a system she led with distinction nearly a decade ago.

Her legacy of over two decades of service is etched into the building itself, with the

wing that bears her name.

Hayden has been a force in the library world since 1973, and in 2016 she made history, when

then President Obama appointed her Librarian of Congress.

So help me God.

The first woman and African American to lead the National Library and the first professional

librarian to hold the post in more than four decades.

President Trump kept her in the role during his first term, but last month,

she received an email, two sentences long, notifying her that she had been dismissed.

What was going through your mind as you received it and read it?

One of the first things that went through my mind was to think about, was authentic because it was very short, very casual,

just said Carla and then two lines. And so I was actually confused. Sent by someone you'd never met.

Someone I'd never met. And so my first action action I was with my mom actually that evening

...