With a Second Trump Presidency Underway, Black America Looks Ahead to What 2026 May Bring
2025 is coming to a close and the dawn of 2026 is near. So much has happened this past year that has impacted and will continue to impact the Black community. Donald Trump assumed presidency for the second time in January following him defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris and that alone set the precedent for what would come.
Writer William Roberts and Mariam Rashid, in their 2025 article for AmericanProgress.org, “Trump’s Agenda Is A Direct Threat To The Black Middle Class”, writes,
“The Trump administration’s destabilizing effort to purge the federal workforce has represented an unprecedented assault…in the first months of 2025, stable career paths that allowed Black families to enter the middle class; purchase homes; send their children to college; and prepare to retire with dignity were eroded by haphazard cuts to the federal workforce. Fueled by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and executive orders banning diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts (DEIA: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility), the cuts have sent shockwaves through the workforce.”
Ramifications of Cuts will Be Felt For Generations
Policy is directly connected to access. Access is about how a community of people can continue to thrive. A common misconception surrounding DEIA efforts and the Black community is that it gave them an unfair advantage towards college admission, employment hirings, and government and business resources. Understanding that DEIA efforts were created to expand opportunities and not to rig systems is crucial to understanding the Trump Administration’s attack on DEIA is about cutting off access. The ramifications of these cuts will be felt for generations to come.
Continued Oppression of Black Communities Nationwide
This is why Black people go into government positions. This is why Black women like Harris and Jasmine Crockett and Maxine Waters and so many others invest time and money into initiatives to protect those who will be impacted by these attacks. This is also why many Black women were also immensely impacted by the federal job layoffs. This is why the American public is watching on a federal and global scale the continued oppression of the Black community.
What will 2026 have in store for the Black community? What has 2025 illuminated that will need to be closely examined in 2026? There is a lot of anticipation regarding how politically, culturally, and economically what will be the result of those in positions of power and their decision making. Think of not having the ability to fast forward during one’s favorite movie or television shows. America is at a point where it wants to fast forward to see what’s coming.
