The National Urban League has recently released the 2025 edition of their State of Black America report. This year’s report, State of Emergency: Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack, focuses on the threats to democracy in the United States and the steps the civil rights community can take to fight back.
“Almost daily, since January 20, 2025, the federal government, at the direction the White House, has set fire to policies and entire departments dedicated to protecting civil and human rights, providing access to an equal education, fair housing, safe and effective healthcare, and ensuring that our democratic process is adhered to across the nation,” the report authors write.
They continue, “Simply put, we are in a state of emergency that requires work from all communities to increase protections from the federal level down to states and municipalities.”
The authors outline a “backlash pipeline” that tracks how the far-right’s “war on woke” is fueling systemic oppression in the United States. They cite the recent increase in digital censorship, misinformation on social media, and online conspiracy theories that reframe racial justice as “anti-white discrimination.” Some conservative-leaning public figures and media outlets have amplified those narratives. According to the report, Fox News aired nearly 2,000 segments attacking critical race theory between 2020 and 2021. Next, these narratives are weaponized by legal entities who sue organizations with race-conscious programs. These cases result in judicial endorsement, such as the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to end affirmative action in higher education, which in turn lead to policy rollbacks that dismantle diversity initiatives. The report also highlights how the civil rights division of the U.S. Department of Justice has been hollowed out and repurposed to fight the false guise of “reverse racism.”
Despite these threats, civil rights groups throughout the country have organized to resist these actions from the executive branch. Many organizations have sued President Trump and his administration over violations to the First Amendment, attempts to defund schools, assaults on scientific and medical research, and several other threats to civil rights policies and diversity initiatives.
“DEI policies don’t just level the playing field in education and employment; they fortify democracy itself,” the authors write. “By expanding opportunities, ensuring equitable access to information, and creating leadership pipelines, DEI helps guarantee that every American — not just the privileged few — can contribute to the nation’s future.”
