Democracy, diversity and equity are all under assault, says group's annual report
The United States is in a state of national emergency, according to the National Urban League’s annual report, The State of Black America.
The publication dives into the unprecedented extremist, anti-diversity movement to erase 60 years of freedoms gained under the Voting Rights Act and undermine Democracy.
The report, titled State of Emergency: Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack, talks about how the war on “woke” is an assault on civil rights and a way to fuel systemic oppression. It describes how the US Department of Justice is being revised as an instrument of right-wing oppression. And it argues that diversity, equity, and inclusion protect and advance American ideals.
The report was issued Thursday during the opening plenary session of the League’s annual conference in Cleveland.
In a pre-release media briefing, NUL CEO and President Marc Morial said the report was intended to be both a warning and a rallying cry. Saying “the rollback of civil rights protections has become national policy”, Morial said the Urban League has a duty to stand up for democracy, diversity and economic fairness.
He decried how diversity programs at universities have effectively been criminalized, the politicization of the US Department of Justice, and how the Voting Rights Act of 1965 continues to be systematically undermined.
The Urban League report is largely devoid of statistics, which Morial said would be forthcoming. He said the report’s focus was to inspire and motivate citizens. He pledged that the League would continue to work alongside other organizations to “defend democracy, demand diversity, and defeat poverty.”
State of Black America 2025 isavailable on the League's website.
The annual conference, which ended yesterday, drew about 10,000 attendees.
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