Urban League Declares National ‘State of Emergency’ for Civil Rights Amid Trump’s Agenda

WASHINGTON – July 17, 2025 — The National Urban League issued a stark warning Thursday, declaring a national “state of emergency” for civil rights in response to former President Donald Trump’s sweeping policy proposals and growing influence on federal agencies tasked with enforcing anti-discrimination laws.

In its 48th annual State of Black America report, released during the organization’s conference in Cleveland, the Urban League accused Trump-aligned conservatives of dismantling decades of civil rights progress. The report claims that recent actions threaten personal freedoms, economic equity for Black Americans, and the integrity of federal civil rights enforcement.

“If left unchecked, they risk reversing decades of progress that have made America more dynamic, competitive, and just,” the report reads.

Report Highlights ‘Coordinated’ Attack on Civil Rights

The Urban League’s president, Marc Morial, said the threat to civil rights is no longer confined to political fringes but has moved into the mainstream of Republican politics.

“It is not random. It is a well-funded, well-organized, well-orchestrated movement of many, many years,” Morial stated. “White nationalist politics is now central to the American right.”

The report sharply criticizes the Heritage Foundation-led Project 2025—a policy blueprint for a potential second Trump term—as emblematic of this agenda. The plan includes proposals for purging civil service jobs, curbing immigration rights, and shifting federal power toward presidential control.

DEI Rollbacks, Social Media Censorship, and Legal Threats

The report condemns corporate America, universities, and major law firms for scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. It also blasts social media companies like Meta and X for allegedly censoring Black activists while allowing extremist content to proliferate.

Additionally, the Urban League denounced attempts to close or defund key federal departments, such as the Department of Education and the civil rights divisions within the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Housing and Urban Development. These moves, the report argues, represent an “existential threat to civil rights enforcement.”

The Justice Department, in response, pointed to its official stance that it enforces civil rights laws “fairly, equally, and without political agenda.”

A Call to Action: “New Resistance” Urged

The Urban League is calling on civil rights organizations, lawmakers, and civic leaders to mobilize in response. “We need a new resistance,” said Morial, urging others to join in opposing what he described as a dangerous shift toward authoritarianism.

Contributors to the report include prominent Black leaders and legal experts, such as Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and seven members of Congress.

Raoul warned that legal action could follow if DEI rollbacks result in discriminatory outcomes.

“Just because the Trump administration doesn’t believe in disparate impact anymore doesn’t mean the rest of the universe must believe that,” he said.

Lawmakers Warn of Eroding Civil Rights Legacy

Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said civil rights advocates must better explain the stakes to the public.

“When you have an administration that’s willing to take civil rights gains and call it reverse racism, then there’s a lot of work to be done to unpack that for folks,” Clarke said.

Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Ala.), whose father once won a civil suit against the Ku Klux Klan, emphasized that the struggle for equal treatment is far from over.

“At the end of the day, that struggle boils down to: Can I be treated like everybody else in this country?”

Focus Shifted to Defending Democracy

Originally planned as a tribute to the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, this year’s report shifted direction following Trump’s political resurgence. The Urban League said it was compelled to address what it sees as an urgent threat to democracy itself.

“We’re on the brink of a dangerous tilt toward authoritarianism,” the report warns.

As the 2024 election cycle heats up and the Trump campaign gains momentum, civil rights groups say they are preparing for a legal and political fight to preserve the rights won through generations of activism.