A democracy willing to destroy itself rather than deliver justice is a democracy in crisis.
This is the chilling reality we confront in 2025—a year that has revealed, in stark terms, the lengths to which some will go to halt the progress of Black America. The notion that we are living through a “state of emergency” is not rhetorical flourish. It is an honest reckoning with a government increasingly determined to sacrifice its founding principles—equality, liberty, and justice—rather than accept the truth of a diversifying nation and deliver equitable opportunity to all.
The story is as old as the Republic itself. Every inch of Black progress in America has been met with fierce resistance. The Reconstruction Amendments were followed by the rise of Jim Crow. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was born only after decades of filibusters, violence, and sabotage. And in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, as Americans of all races flooded the streets to demand justice, we now see the same pattern repeating—only this time, the backlash is deeper, more calculated, and more dangerous.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965—the cornerstone of democratic participation—is once again under siege. Policies that once protected our access to the ballot box are being shredded, replaced with brazen new tactics of suppression. At the same time, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives—hard-fought measures designed to repair centuries of injustice—are being dismantled under the cynical guise of “fairness” and “colorblindness.” Entire federal departments once tasked with advancing civil rights have been hollowed out, their missions warped into tools of political retaliation.
We are witnessing something more than policy shifts. We are watching an attempt to turn back the clock to an era when the full humanity of all Americans was not recognized—when the idea of true equality was treated as a threat to the social order. What we face today is a deliberate, coordinated effort to deny the future of a more just and inclusive America. And the architects of this effort have made their intentions plain: they would rather see our democracy crumble than cede power to a multiracial, equitable society.
Yet if history teaches us anything, it is that Black America has never accepted injustice as destiny. Time and again, we have organized, resisted, and overcome. The National Urban League was born for moments like this—when the stakes are high, and the path forward demands clarity, courage, and conviction.
In this 49th edition of the State of Black America, we do more than document the threats we face. We illuminate the power of resistance. Across courtrooms and classrooms, from statehouses to boardrooms, a new generation of leaders is rising to defend the gains we’ve made and push for the progress still to come. The work is difficult. The road is long. But we know from experience that the arc of history does not bend toward justice on its own—it must be bent by those with the strength and will to see it through.
This is our charge. This is our moment. And together, we will not yield.
