2025 has felt like a whirlwind of headlines, each one seemingly more demoralizing than the last. From rollbacks on social initiatives to a deteriorating economy, it is apparent we are not just in unprecedented times but in a period that calls for much deeper reflection on what it means to build something new. Something that works for us all.
One thing that remains clear: Black women voters are not only feeling this moment most acutely, but they are also naming the path forward – one grounded in bold, thoughtful and sustainable solutions.
Black women have long been architects of a collective future rooted in care, fairness, and progress. A future that fortifies our communities, strengthens our economy, protects education and preserves dignity. But that future feels increasingly out of reach. And each day, we seem to retreat further from it.
A recent non-partisan national poll conducted by The Highland Project and Brilliant Corners Research and Strategy gives a powerful shape to this reality: 88% of Black women voters report dissatisfaction with the direction of the country—a staggering 52-point increase since 2021. Only 8% say they are satisfied, down from 58% just four years ago.
These numbers don’t just reflect discontent—they reflect a breaking point. This shift did not happen overnight. It is the predictable outcome of a national landscape that continues to make decisions about Black women, rarely with them—and certainly not for them. From rollbacks in reproductive rights to economic policies that ignore lived realities, the message is clear: progress for Black women is still seen as optional. And that’s a crisis—not just of economics or politics, but of care, trust, and possibility.
The Spring 2025 Poll of Black Women Voters in America findings are not just statistics; they are signals of where we are headed if we continue this path without real solutions. The economy has been in flux before, but the impact is cutting Black women deeper than it has in recent memory.
They are feeling its impact harder in 2025 than they did during the height of COVID-19 instability in 2021: Black women voters are even more pessimistic about the economy, with a nearly universal majority of 87% reporting economic conditions are worsening. This represents a 54-point spike from 2021 polling. 57% say their wages are falling behind the cost of living, with only 4% saying they’re getting ahead. The worries plaguing them range from paying bills to healthcare to ensuring their children receive a quality education.
But it does not stop there. Black women are feeling the effects of the droves of layoffs in the last few months. The poll also found that 50% of Black women voters were impacted by federal job cuts and just in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Black women lost 106,000 jobs in April alone – the most among any other demographic.
This is not just an economic story; it is also a sobering picture of mental health and well-being. A plurality of 45% say their mental health has declined in the past year, citing the current state of the nation and the economy. Most Black women – 67% – have disengaged from the news entirely just to protect their peace—a striking act of self-preservation in a country that expects Black women to keep pushing without pause.
And yet—this is not a story of resignation. It’s a story of resolve. What may look like a retreat is, in fact, a strategic pause. A moment to reassess. To build anew. Because a 55% majority of Black women still believe now is the time to protect our rights and build a collective future.
Visionary frameworks already exist to guide this work. The Black Women’s Best: A Framework We Need for an Equitable Economy reminds us that when Black women are centered—not as a symbol, but as a strategy—everyone benefits. Organizations like The Maven Collaborative and Springboard to Opportunities are pushing forward policy and narrative work that reframes economic liberation as a collective right, not an individual achievement.
Leaders like LaTosha Brown, Mary-Pat Hector, Chelsea Miller, and Monica
Simpson continues to remind us that democracy is not a destination—it’s something we must co-create courageously and imaginatively. And voices like Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon’s, in her book No One Is Self-Made, remind us that our lives and successes are deeply interwoven—that collectivism, not individualism, is what truly carries us forward.
Black women understand the urgency of this moment because they’ve lived it before. They know that surviving isn’t the same as thriving. And they know that band-aids and crisis-driven politics won’t bring about real change. What they demand—and what they deserve—are structural solutions rooted in vision, partnership and care.
If we are to build a future where democracy endures and prosperity is shared, we must start by centering Black women—not just in rhetoric, but in resourcing and results. That means listening to what Black women have long been saying, and investing in what they have long been building: communities rooted in belonging, economies rooted in fairness and leadership rooted in care.
This isn’t just about righting wrongs—it’s about choosing a better way forward. A future where financial freedom, abundant choice, thriving health, and true belonging aren’t luxuries for a few but guarantees for all.
Because when Black women are sustained, everyone is sustained. And if we finally choose to follow their lead, we just might save ourselves in the process.
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Gabrielle Wyatt is the Founder and CEO of The Highland Project, a values-aligned coalition designing and leading a multi-generational vision of wealth and opportunity for all, anchored in belonging, abundant choice, thriving health and financial freedom.