America is at an inflection point. State legislatures are leading attacks on voting rights, and extremists are manipulating the legal system to limit access to higher education and the workforce. None of this is by accident, but the National Urban League has a plan to work alongside the Urban League movement, our civil rights partners, and elected officials to create a future where every American is safe, has fundamental human rights, and can achieve their own version of the American Dream. The movement is laying out a new framework of collective activism rooted in the organization's enduring pillars of Employment, Education, Housing, Healthcare, and Justice. Under this plan we are committed to fighting for you and working to
Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty.
In American history, when the cries for equality and fairness grow louder, so does the resistance from those with power who are unwilling to share it. The voter turnout of 2020 turned state legislatures into battlegrounds for the future of our Democracy. Dozens of states introduced hundreds of laws to make it harder to cast a ballot in the future. While some states have made voting easier, others have purged voter rolls, enforced stricter voter ID laws, and removed ballot boxes in the communities that need them. We demand the full restoration of the Voting Rights Act, equitable representation in Congress and state legislatures, and an end to racially based gerrymandering.
The phrase "A Threat to Our Democracy" is thrown around often without the proper context. Our democracy is how we decide who represents us on the global stage, who protects our communities, decides how to use our tax dollars, and leads us into the future. It also allows us to express our beliefs and turn them into law at the ballot box.
When we say our democracy is under attack, what we mean is that the basic function of any democracy, the right to vote, is under attack. States across the country have introduced stricter voter ID laws, purged their voter roles, and made it harder to vote in elections.
The shameless attacks on our right to vote are coming from everywhere, including people sitting in office, from the Secretary of State to the Governor's mansion. If you want to help us fight these extremists, here are a few ways.
We are defending our democracy against a variety of tactics to suppress the Black vote including:
Voter Suppression Tactics: Recent elections have seen various voter suppression tactics, such as the reduction of polling places in predominantly minority neighborhoods, limiting early voting hours, and purging voter rolls. These tactics make it more difficult for people of color to vote and can suppress their political participation.
Voter ID Laws: As outlined in our 2023 State of Black America Report, many states have implemented strict voter ID laws. These laws disproportionately affect Black communities because they are more likely to face barriers in obtaining the necessary identification.
Voter Intimidation: Instances of voter intimidation, particularly in communities of color, have been reported in recent elections. This can involve physical presence at polling places, harassment, or spreading false information about voting rights, discouraging people from casting their ballots.
Lack of Access to Early Voting and Mail-In Voting: In some areas, there is limited access to early voting and mail-in voting, which can disproportionately affect communities of color, especially those who face transportation challenges or have inflexible work schedules.
Underrepresentation: Communities of color are often underrepresented in elected offices, both at the local and national levels. This lack of representation can lead to policies that do not adequately address the needs and concerns of these communities.
Gerrymandering: Gerrymandering is the practice of redrawing electoral district boundaries to benefit a particular political party or group. This can dilute the voting power of communities of color by splitting them across multiple districts, making it harder for them to elect representatives who truly represent their interests.
Prison Gerrymandering: In some states, incarcerated individuals are counted as residents of the prison location rather than their home communities. Since the prison population disproportionately consists of people of color, this inflates the political power of predominantly white rural areas where many prisons are located while diminishing the representation of urban communities of color.
It has been proven since the Black is Beautiful movement of the 60's that representation is the gateway to inspiration.Generations of medical professionals, attorneys, educators, and industry leaders have shared stories of being inspired by seeing people who look like them trailblazing in fields that were once out of our reach. Today, that progress is under attack.From the dismantling of affirmative action to the legal threats to corporate diversity programs, forces are working to undermine the potential of people of color in America. We demand diversity, equity, and inclusion—in all aspects of American life. Our commitment is to ensure that our children and their descendants have an equitable path to success.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are under attack. But we have the power to put pressure on those systems that are actively working against us. We encourage you to explore all the ways you can take a stand and demand diversity at your job, school, and community.
For Black Americans and other communities of color, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have been transformative for so many of us who have been overlooked and under-recruited because of bias.
These programs are a pathway to life-changing career opportunities that show our people that their dreams are achievable. They bring us to the table to create products and services that improve and, in some professions, save our lives.
When we saw that we are demanding diversity, we are fighting to have us represented across all American institutions to combat:
Racial Discrimination: Systemic racism and racial bias lead to discrimination in hiring, promotions, pay, and educational opportunities for people of color.
Microaggressions: Microaggressions, subtle comments or actions that convey discriminatory attitudes, can contribute to a hostile and unwelcoming atmosphere for people of color.
Wage Gaps: Communities of color often experience wage gaps, earning less than their white counterparts for the same work, which can contribute to economic disparities.
Educational Equity: Minority communities often have reduced access to quality education, including underfunded schools, limited access to advanced courses, and disparities in discipline and resource allocation.
School-to-prison Pipeline: Students of color, mainly Black and Latino students, are more likely to face harsh disciplinary measures, leading to the school-to-prison pipeline.
Lack of Representation: Underrepresenting people of color in leadership positions, textbooks, media, and decision-making roles can reinforce marginalization and limit opportunities.
Limited Access to Healthcare: People of color may have limited access to quality healthcare, leading to health disparities and unequal outcomes.
Housing Discrimination: Discriminatory housing practices, such as redlining, can limit access to safe and affordable housing in predominantly white neighborhoods.
Criminal Justice Disparities: People of color are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement and face harsher sentences and conditions within the criminal justice system.
Cultural Appropriation: Appropriating cultural elements from marginalized communities without understanding or respect can perpetuate stereotypes and cultural insensitivity.
Cultural Competency: Institutions often lack the cultural competence needed to effectively address the unique needs of diverse communities.
Racial income and wealth disparities play a significant role in creating inequalities in these areas. For a nation with a $23 trillion economy, the largest national economy in history, to have double-digit poverty levels and even more people teetering on the edge of financial instability is unacceptable. To address and eliminate racial income and wealth disparities, we will prioritize closing gaps in education, healthcare, housing, and the justice system.
Defeating poverty will take work from all of us. While our government is responsible for passing policies that make life more affordable and the American dream more accessible.
Poverty is a disease born out of greed and scarcity. The United States is an innovator in almost every industry. Technology, automobiles, and health care. All of that has made us one of the wealthiest nations in the world. We have the potential to be the best nation in the world, but that starts with our people. If our people suffer, so does our future.
We believe that defeating poverty is not only achievable, but a fight for the soul of our nation that we cannot lose. This is what a fight against poverty looks like:
Expanding Access to Quality Education: Low-income communities, which are often disproportionately communities of color, have limited access to quality education, including underfunded schools and fewer educational resources.
Making Childcare Affordable: Affordable childcare is crucial for parents to work and advance their careers. However, low-income families often face difficulties accessing quality childcare services.
Expanding Access to Financial Services: People in poverty, especially those in communities of color, may have limited access to traditional banking and financial services, leading to reliance on predatory lending and check-cashing services.
Expanding Social Services: Social safety net programs, such as welfare and food assistance, are essential for those in poverty, but they often have strict eligibility criteria and limited benefits.
Reduce Student Debt: High costs of higher education and student loan debt can perpetuate poverty, particularly among young adults, making it difficult to pursue economic opportunities.
Make Healthcare Affordable: Poverty can lead to reduced access to healthcare, and communities of color face healthcare disparities, including higher rates of chronic diseases, maternal mortality, and limited access to quality healthcare facilities.
Create Affordable Housing: Low-income individuals and families, especially people of color, face difficulties accessing safe, affordable housing. Discriminatory housing practices and redlining have historical and ongoing impacts.
Decriminalize Poverty: Poverty is closely linked to involvement in the criminal justice system. Communities of color are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement, leading to higher rates of arrests, longer sentences, and limited access to fair legal representation.
Pay People a Living Wage: Many low-income jobs are precarious, with irregular hours and low wages, making it challenging to achieve financial stability.
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