The Path Toward Liberty Is Being Lit and Led by Black Women

Marc H. Morial 
President and CEO
National Urban League

“If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going; if there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.”
― Harriet Tubman

There is no group in America today for whom this quote resonates more than Black women. 

On January 20, 2025, as the first Black woman to serve as Vice President ended her last day in office, the White House issued an executive order terminating diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and related contracts across the government.

Two words that made the administration’s list of banned words, “Black” and “women,” created a ripple effect in hiring and job losses across the economy that disproportionately impacted Black women. The total loss? 251,000 between January and August 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and findings from our 2026 State of Black America Report. 

In response, Black women aren’t cowering away; they’re fighting back.

In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Mayor of Atlanta and Senior Advisor to President Biden, is polling slightly ahead of her opponent for the keys to the Governor’s mansion this fall. During her mayoral term, she was a friend of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta, helping our affiliate expand opportunity across the city, and partnered with us to improve educational outcomes for our children.

In Illinois, Juliana Stratton is running for the Senate to defeat poverty by creating economic opportunities and to defend democracy by committing to passing Voting Rights legislation.

And in Florida, Angie Nixon won this week’s Senate primary by pledging to center people over Corporate profits and a vision for a universal jobs program.

These women are but a handful of examples of what today’s movement toward freedom and access to the American Dream looks like.

In the wake of historic job losses, Black women have pivoted to become a new face of entrepreneurship in this country. And those businesses are a real economic engine. According to the 2025 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Businesses report, Black women-owned businesses in the U.S. outnumber more than 2 million and employ more than 647,000 people.

History has shown Black America that opportunity and influence have never been given to us. And what we’ve achieved since Reconstruction has been the fruit of perseverance, community, and collective action, most of which was either led by or deeply supported by a foundation of committed Black women. 

That history shows us that the leadership we see today is legacy and prophecy for our country’s future. At every setback, we take two steps forward. In every fight for our rights, we bear the blows with resolve and build back stronger. 

And make no mistake, Black women are not alone in this fight; they have an entire community organizing beside them. The Urban League movement is a partner investing in and developing its entrepreneurial ventures, voters are evangelizing its vision, and it is standing on the backs of women who have come and fought before them in the face of oppression and darkness.

As Lady Liberty and her torch lit the way for freedom through revolutions, Black women and their resilience carry the torch that lights our path to a brighter future ahead. 

 
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