Consider This from NPR - A civil rights organization declares a 'state of emergency' in the U.S.

Episode Date: July 22, 2025

As a candidate in 2024, President Trump promised – often – to end what he and other conservatives describe as "woke" policies.On his first day in office, he signed executive orders rolling back policies around diversity, equity and inclusion — and those policy changes have continued over the last six months of the second Trump administration.One of the oldest civil rights organizations in the country now warns that the administration's policies have thrust Black Americans — and the entire country — into a "state of emergency." NPR's Juana Summers speaks with Marc Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League. For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Email us at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

As a candidate in 2024, President Trump promised often to end what he and other conservatives describe as woke policies. On day one, I will sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content onto our children. And on his first day in office, he did in fact sign executive orders rolling back policies around diversity, equity, and inclusion. DEI is seemingly dead.

A January order gave the federal government 120 days to identify so-called discriminatory DEI practices. Order that all federal employees with DEI jobs be placed on paid leave by five kids. An executive order which also revokes protecting people seeking certain federal positions from being discriminated against based on their race, color, sex and religion, among other things. The executive actions and policy changes have continued over the last six months, in the military and the federal government. We've ended the tyranny of so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion policies all across the entire federal government

and, indeed, the private sector and our military. With affirmative action and an education in transgender rights. We have removed the poison of critical race theory from our public schools, and I signed an order making it the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female. In the last six months, we've seen the most aggressive assault

on the progress we've made in modern American history. It's bigger than politics because it is a broad-based assault using public policy as a weapon against equal opportunity. That's Mark Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League. Consider this. The Trump administration says DEI policies are themselves discriminatory. One of the oldest civil rights organizations in America isn't buying that. It says that in 2025, the administration's actions have created a state of emergency for Black Americans and undermined democracy for all Americans.

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not just what they mean, but what they mean for you all in under 30 minutes. Listen to the weekly roundup every Friday on the NPR Politics podcast. It's Consider This from NPR. For 49 years, the National Urban League has released a report it calls The State of Black America. This year, its title is State of Emergency, Democracy, Civil Rights, and Progress Under Attack. What does it mean that one of the country's oldest civil rights groups is now declaring an emergency for Black Americans?

Marc Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League. Great to be with you. I want to start off with that question. Briefly describe for us the state of emergency for Black America that you see and spell out in this report. There's an unprecedented attack on the gains of the last 70 years. And think about it. 70 years ago, Brown versus the Board of Education began the dismantling of segregation in America. Ten years later, the passage of the Civil Rights Act, for the first time there were legal protections against discrimination in fact, not just discrimination in law.

That effort is being attacked viciously now. And how is it being attacked? Voter suppression. An attack on equal opportunity under the guise that somehow equal opportunity is discriminatory in and of itself. That's all the attacks of DE and IR. And the cutbacks on government initiatives and programs with Medicaid, food stamps, education, veterans benefits that help make America stronger and better and create opportunity for all. Taken together in the last six months, we've seen the most aggressive assault

on the progress we've made in modern American history. There's a lot to dig into here. So I just want to pull apart some of the specifics. You mentioned the war on policies supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion, which I'll notice been happening for a few years now. To your mind, what has changed since people who oppose these types of policies came into power in the federal government in 2025? Think about the executive orders that seek to shut down the enforcement mechanisms, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Education, and the complete change in mission of the Civil Rights Division. All of these specific things when taken together just simply represent an assault on the idea

of equal opportunity, on the idea of racial justice, on the idea of yes, diversity, equity and inclusion, which is a strength of America, a powerful, powerful strength of America. And that is why so many of us have had to stand up a very strong effort to resist through the courts. Some are protesting. We're doing everything possible to try to slow down this movement. And it is a movement. It's called the MAGA movement.

You can call it that. But it's bigger than politics because it is a broad-based assault using public policy as a weapon against equal opportunity. I, I, well, you mentioned the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division here, and I just want to present you with something that the department posted on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. They point out that the Civil Rights Division has returned to enforcing the law is written fairly, equally,

and without political agenda and, quote, how do you read that? It's a bogus argument. It's a cover story. It's a smoke screen behind the effort to weaponize the Civil Rights Division. Why would you suspend all the civil rights cases that were pending when you took office? Why would you go to court in Louisville and suggest that an officer who had been convicted of a crime get a one-day sentence for shooting into someone's home after a jury that heard the evidence said he violated her civil rights and...

You're talking there about the case related to the killing of Breonna Taylor. Yes. Sentencing guidelines recommend a sentence of multiple years. The department's rhetoric rings hollow with many of us because what we understand is that it is a diversion. It is trying to divert people away from the real facts, is that they're saying we're not going to prosecute police officers who violate people's civil rights. We're not going to attack corruption in police departments, or systemic, if you will, corruption or brutality. Instead,

we're going to use the Civil Rights Division to wage war on our political enemies. Harrison Fields, who's a White House spokesman, has said that civil rights groups that oppose the Trump administration aren't, and I'm quoting Harrison Fields here, aren't advancing anything but hate and division while the president is focused on uniting our country. Mark Morial, this administration has repeatedly touted and tried to showcase efforts to promote what it calls meritocracy and it argues is a quality of opportunity. What do you make of that? The key is merit for who and what civil rights laws are about or merit for everyone. In other words, give everyone with merit an opportunity. Historically in this country, we did not.

Merit meant white men. That's what it meant in fact. And that is how the country was organized until the civil rights laws got passed. What would you like to see in response to these actions we've been discussing from the Trump administration? What's the playbook? Well, I think it's gonna require require a change in policy, it's

going to require a change in approach. We're not going to get that with the Trump administration clearly. So I think all roads are going to lead to the next set of elections in this country, where Americans are going to have to vote on what they believe the policy and the approach ought to be when it comes to civil rights and equal opportunity. This report is the state of black America, but I just want to ask you, what do you hope that all Americans of all races take away from this report?

I'm glad you asked that question because in many respects, while it is a state of Black America report, it is more a state of the union report in this climate. The attacks on the rule of law, the attacks, let's just take diversity, equity and inclusion. Diversity, equity and inclusion benefits women, women of all races and has substantially benefited white women. It benefits Latinos, it's benefited those who are disabled.

It's benefited large, large numbers of Asians. I mean, the concept of diversity has been about taking those who've been locked out, left out, and marginalized and giving them a real opportunity to advance into the American mainstream. And so this report, this report is for all Americans. We should understand the founding fathers said that we hold these truths to be self-evident

that all people are created equal. If those principles mean something, then a more diverse America, a more inclusive America is the way. We've been speaking with Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. Thank you so much. Hey, thank you for having me. This episode was produced by Mia Venkat with audio engineering by Jay Sizz. It was edited by Patrick Jaranwatananan and Nadia Lancy. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan.

It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Sommers. Federal funding for public media has been eliminated. of charge. You can make your gift at donate.npr.org. And thank you. Support for NPR and the following message come from the Lemelson Foundation, working to harness the power of invention and innovation to accelerate climate action and improve lives around the world. Learn more at lemelson.org. Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon Prime members can listen to consider this sponsor free through breaks? Amazon Prime members can listen to Consider This sponsor-free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get Consider This Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.