National Urban League Conference 2025 report warns of backsliding on racial progress

From Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in Philadelphia to the NAACP in Charlotte, historically Black organizations have spent the summer convening their members to conduct organizational business and confront the nation’s most pressing challenges.

For the past 115 years the National Urban League has done the same, bringing together leaders, advocates and community members to advance racial and economic justice. On July 17, delegates from the League’s 92 affiliates gathered in Cleveland for the 2025 National Urban League Conference, focused squarely on assessing and responding to the urgent conditions outlined in the latest “State of Black America” report.

At the opening plenary of this year’s conference, President Marc Morial delivered a powerful warning and a resounding call to action. Unveiling the 2025 “State of Black America” report, Morial declared the nation in a “state of emergency,” citing mounting threats to decades of racial progress in civil rights, democracy and economic equity.

President of the National Urban League, Marc H. Morial, addresses the crowd about the urgency of Civil Rights being under attack. PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM LIVESTREAM

“This report speaks not only to the state of Black America,” Morial said, “but also to the state of the nation and the state of our democracy. We will not go away quietly — people of goodwill, who love this nation, are fighting back.”

The report, an annual flagship publication of the National Urban League, outlines urgent threats to racial justice and democracy across a range of sectors, including economics, employment, education, health, housing, criminal justice and civic participation. It warns of a dangerous national tilt toward authoritarianism and highlights efforts to roll back federal protections that have historically safeguarded the rights of marginalized communities.

Visually striking, the cover of this year’s report features a burning wastebasket filled with the logos of federal agencies that have been disrupted, defunded or dismantled — particularly under the Trump administration. The imagery foreshadows what is at stake: the hollowing out of institutions that once offered modest, but essential, protection for Black communities.

The report identifies systemic racism as the root of these policy shifts. “What started as a war on ‘woke’ has become a war on truth and a tool to dismantle voting rights and other hard-won freedoms,” Morial said, referring to the rise of anti-Black rhetoric from fringe ideology to mainstream political discourse.

One of the most sobering sections of the report documents the radical transformation of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division from a historic guardian of equal protection to what Morial described as a “tool of political retribution.” Among the developments cited: the DOJ’s withdrawal from critical voting rights litigation, its dismissal of cases against individuals who tampered with election equipment and the pardoning of January 6 insurrectionists.

Morial also pointed to troubling employment trends. “For the first time in a long time, Black unemployment is rising while white unemployment is falling,” he noted, highlighting a record number of African American women entering the ranks of the unemployed. “This is the real, demonstrable impact of these policies.”

The report also defends the role of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in expanding access to civic participation. Morial drew a direct line from civil rights legislation to economic mobility: “The throughline from the Civil Rights Act to increased civic participation and expanded economic opportunity is the hallmark of the second half of the 20th century.”

Mt. Zion Oakwood Village Praise & Worship Team performs at the State of the Urban League Address. PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM LIVESTREAM

Despite a wave of voter suppression efforts like the more than 300 laws introduced across the country fueled by election misinformation, the report underscores the effectiveness of inclusive voting policies. In states with same-day voter registration, participation increased by 5%. Moreover, 71% of individuals who registered to vote online turned out, compared to 48% and 52% for mail and state agency registration, respectively. Notably, the report also found that 81% of Americans support ranked-choice voting.

The report highlights the legal resistance led by civil rights organizations and state governments. It cites a lawsuit filed by the National Urban League and allied organizations challenging three federal anti-equity executive orders, as well as two lawsuits filed by the Massachusetts attorney general in coalition with other state attorneys general. As of May, 247 cases have been filed in U.S. district courts related to these issues, a number the Urban League pledges to continue monitoring.

“The arc doesn’t bend toward justice on its own, we must bend it with strength and will,” Morial said in closing, reflecting on the legacy of Vernon Jordan, who issued the first State of Black America report in 1976 after the Ford administration ignored the needs of Black Americans. “We stand in that same spirit today with a report that is unapologetic in its stance.”

Massachusetts is highlighted in the report as a center of resistance to federal rollbacks, due in part to litigation filed by the state’s attorney general. On the ground, the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM) is not only amplifying the report’s findings but also implementing programs aimed at building economic self-sufficiency and generational wealth in the Black community despite ongoing federal cutbacks.

Through its Project Ready STEM initiative and adult training programs, ULEM is equipping participants with skills in coding and artificial intelligence to prepare them for emerging employment opportunities.

The organization is also actively advocating for systemic reforms, including same-day voter registration, ranked-choice voting and the automation of criminal record sealing to remove barriers to employment. In doing so, ULEM continues to serve as an economic first responder preparing Massachusetts’ most vulnerable communities for the impact of national policy shifts.