Discouraged pensive African American woman looking into distance thinking about ways to solve financial problems. Frightened black girl sits on sofa in living room having lost mood due to inflation.
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Black women are continuing to sound the alarm about the state of the country—and calling for lasting change.

A new survey from The Highland Project, a coalition of Black women leaders working to address the racial wealth gap, found that 88 percent of Black women voters are dissatisfied with the direction of the country. For the Spring 2025 Poll of Black Women Voters in America, the group surveyed over 700 Black women across the country, whose responses highlight the dramatic increase of Black women’s dissatisfaction over the past five years amid their calls for long-term, care-centered solutions.

“I think what really stands out to me is that Black women voters are not only feeling this moment most acutely,” said Gabrielle Wyatt, the founder of The Highland Project, in an interview with NPQ. “They’re also naming a path forward, which is what we have seen consistently in our polling, and they’re naming a path forward that’s grounded in bold, thoughtful, fair, and sustainable solutions.”

The Disproportionate Impact Black Women Face

The survey builds on a growing body of data that highlights the disproportionate burdens Black women are facing. For instance, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics study, in April 2025, Black women experienced job losses that were higher than for any other racial groups—up to 106,000 jobs lost according to some estimates.

“Those numbers don’t just represent discontent. They represent a breaking point.”

Other reports indicate that diversity, equity, and inclusion rollbacks implemented by the Trump administration have left Black women federal workers particularly vulnerable to job loss.

The findings in this year’s report are striking: Black women’s dissatisfaction saw a 52-percentage-point increase since the group started asking the question in 2021—the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey found that today only 8 percent of Black women report being satisfied with the direction of the country.

“I think that those numbers don’t just represent discontent. They represent a breaking point,” Wyatt said.

Referencing Black women as the “canaries in the coal mines,” Wyatt noted that in last year’s poll, Black women said that their top issues were protecting democracy, creating an economy of opportunity for all, and improving public education. Yet, in recent months, the exact opposite has taken place: threats against democracy have been manifested, economic burdens have deepened nationwide, and there have been active attacks against public education.

For Wyatt, it makes sense that many Black women are expressing their dissatisfaction with the country’s direction. Among the Black women voters polled:

  • 45 percent said their mental health has gotten worse
  • 50 percent said they were impacted by federal job cuts
  • 57 percent said their pay is falling behind, an increase of 20 percent since last year
  • 62 percent of respondents without a college education said their pay is falling behind
  • 67 percent said they have disengaged from the news to protect their mental health
  • 87 percent expressed pessimism about the economy, a 54 percent increase from 2021

The Call for an Equitable Democracy

Speaking as someone with a background in structural change, Wyatt emphasized that this shift didn’t happen overnight for Black women but rather that “it’s a culmination of action, policies, narratives, and more.”

“It’s incredibly important that the first step is listening to folks who feel actively underinvested in.”

She noted, for instance, that for many Black women, concerns about the economy are not just about being able to maintain a stable job and meet their needs but the fact that at their jobs, they often do not feel welcome—and that impacts their mental health. Wyatt suggested that solving the problem should begin by listening to those who are most impacted.

“It’s incredibly important that the first step is listening to folks who feel actively underinvested in,” Wyatt said. “The second is to ask ourselves, ‘What are we learning about solutions that need to be brought to bear?’”

At a time when there seems to be a new crisis in the country every day, Wyatt contended that “Black women are calling not for urgency born in crisis, but for structural solutions grounded in care.”

She acknowledged that there has been progress since 2021, but there have also been setbacks; there is still a deep need for structural change, not short-term solutions. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were talking about how systems are inextricably linked—Wyatt stressed that similar conversations are needed now.

Referencing an article from Standford Social Innovation Review, Wyatt noted that “COVID-19 was the dress rehearsal for philanthropists focused on building a collective future.” During the pandemic, philanthropy showed up with robust mental health support, multiyear funding, and nimble funding, she said, and now is the time for philanthropy to show up in a similar way to “fund—not just the crisis of the now, which is important and essential, but also fund the spaces and places to begin to build a new future where all can imagine and thrive.”

The Highland Project is hearing the call to action from the people they talk to and support. “We’re hearing that call to protect an equitable democracy,” she said. “We’re hearing that call to protect reproductive rights. We’re hearing that call to protect and reimagine the social safety net. And all of that for us at Highland comes back to this core word: care.”