Report: The more than 15K ways Trump, Republicans have attacked or erased Black Americans – MassLive

Since the second Trump administration took power in January, it’s engaged in a direct attack on Black Americans, and its impacts are piling up, according to a sprawling new report.
The new Blackout Report by the nonprofit Onyx Impact details “15,723 distinct impact points—each one an instance in which Black opportunities, lives, or histories have been directly attacked" its authors asserted.
“The harm is concrete and undeniable. Black businesses and entrepreneurs are being pushed out of jobs and contracts … [and] students are learning warped and incomplete history,” the report’s authors wrote.
“Protections against discrimination are being slashed. Pathways to health, education, and opportunity are being blocked,” they continued.
The report found that, among other things:
“When datasets or historical materials disappear, it becomes harder to see, and fix, racial disparities," Maya Wiley, who leads the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, told Axios.
The report highlighted cuts to programs that address public health threats for Black Americans, including Sickle Cell Disease
The report found that the Trump administration had “terminated at least 14 major federal grants, totaling more than $9.4 million, to fund research and treatment” for Sickle Cell Disease, which is a major health issue for Black Americans.
The report also pointed to what its authors described as “historic” employment reductions, starting in February of this year, that have resulted in the highest Black unemployment rate since 2021.
The report found that 306,000 Black women have lost their jobs this year, with the cuts coming from both federal agencies and the private sector.
In Massachusetts, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, has called steady public attention to the exit of Black women from the job market.
“This is a glaring red flag for the entire economy,” Pressley said during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol in September. “And it is damning evidence of [President] Donald Trump’s fiscally irresponsible and chaotic economic policies.”
The Republican White House’s purges of the federal government and its attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs have helped push the unemployment rate higher among Black women, Pressley argued at the time.
Onyx Impact said it conducted its research between May and September of this year, describing it as the most comprehensive to date.
“This report provides communities, journalists, and allies with a framework to track and counter these attacks. If they are not combated, significant economic, social, and civil rights progress may be lost for generations,” the report’s authors said.
John Micek has covered politics in state capitols and city halls across the country and in Washington, D.C.
Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 10/1/2025).
© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us).
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.
Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.
YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here.
Ad Choices