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On Thursday, July 17, the National Urban League declared a “State of Emergency” in Black America. It cited attacks on civil rights, democratic principles, and past progress. The report, titled “State of Emergency: Civil Rights, Democracy & Progress Under Attack,” exposes an extraordinary assault on our democracy and freedoms.
“This is not business as usual. This is an emergency.” That stark warning came from National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial. He added, “A democracy willing to destroy itself rather than deliver justice is a democracy in crisis.”
The report states that the so-called “war on woke” fuels systemic oppression and assaults civil rights. At its core, the message is clear: the U.S. faces a strategic effort to dismantle racial equity, voting rights, and legal protections at every government level.
At The Black Wall Street Times, we amplify Black resistance and defend democracy by documenting the fight for justice—and we need your support.
The National Urban League Builds a Path Forward
The report reads:
In this new era of retrenchment and backlash, The National Urban League is more than a participant in the resistance?– it is a leader, architecting a path forward where justice, equity, and opportunity are not just aspirations but guaranteed rights for all Americans.
State of Black America 2025
Morial reminded us, “This work is hard. This work is going to take a long time. This work is going to require our ongoing commitment.”
The report cites the power of representation:
When people see themselves represented in the decision?making bodies that govern their lives—and when they feel their voices matter—they are more likely to participate in elections, public hearings, and civic activism.
State of Black America 2025
According to the Center for Progressive Reform, the [Trump] administration used fear?mongering to pit marginalized communities against each other. Its aim: distract from an economic system that extracts from below and concentrates wealth at the top.
“This president is seeking to distract from the real issue: the passage of one of the worst budgets we’ve ever seen,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said. He continued, “They want to disrupt how our taxpayer dollars are used?… to enrich the already wealthy few. This garbage bill strips resources from those most in need, guts protections for vulnerable communities, and hands power to corporate interests in the name of government reform.”
The report warns:
Almost daily, since January 20, 2025, the federal government, at the direction of the White House, has set fires to policies and entire departments dedicated to protecting civil and human rights, providing access to equal education, fair housing, safe and effective healthcare, and ensuring that our democratic process is adhered to across the nation.
State of Black America 2025
Key Findings from the 2025 Executive Summary
- Democracy & Civil Rights Under Siege
- Since Jan 20, 2025, executive actions have eroded protections in education, housing, healthcare, and voting rights.
- The Supreme Court has weakened affirmative action and Voting Rights enforcement.
- Entrenched Economic & Health Disparities
- Black household median income lags ~37% behind White households.
- Black children live on average 4 fewer years than White children.
- Black women face 59% higher childbirth mortality; Black men 52% higher prostate mortality; Black women 31% higher breast cancer mortality.
- Criminal Justice Inequities Persist
- Black people face police force twice as often. They are jailed at three times the White rate.
- Voting Suppression Tactics Intensify
- The report points to gerrymandering, purging, election sabotage, and intimidation.
- A new campaign, “Reclaim Your Vote,” launched. White voter turnout outpaces Black turnout by ~5% in key states.
- Backlash Against Equity Efforts
- Federal and state rollbacks target DEI programs and civil-rights divisions.
- Justice Department staffing and policy moves may weaken long-standing protections.
- Resistance & Path Forward
- Over 247 lawsuits challenge these federal rollbacks.
- The Urban League leads via local affiliates, civic planning, economic programs, youth summits, and legal advocacy.
A Coordinated Attack Meets a Rising Resistance
Black America faces a coordinated assault on democracy, civil rights, economic and health equity, criminal justice fairness, and voting access. But resistance is mobilizing. Litigation, grassroots advocacy, and institutional reform offer a path forward.
The future has a past—and we must honor that past by constructing a future worthy of those who struggled before us. Their dreams of full democracy remain our blueprint, but our hands must now lay brick upon brick. We are the founders of this next chapter in American democracy. The question is not whether we can win, but whether we have the courage, creativity, and commitment to realize the representative democracy we desire and deserve—one that embodies the ideals of inclusion, equity, and justice for all.
LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter
At The Black Wall Street Times, we don’t just report—we defend democracy and amplify Black resistance.
The National Urban League declared a state of emergency. Our rights are under attack, but so is our silence.
We’re documenting the fightback—and lifting up the leaders building real change. But that work takes resources.
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If you believe in justice, equity, and full democracy—this is your moment. Stand with us.
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