We’ve passed the 100-day mark of Donald Trump’s return to the White House—and if you’re Black in America, you’ve likely been watching this administration’s every move with a mix of frustration, exhaustion and let’s be real, outright dread.
The question isn’t just what has happened in these 100 days, but who has been left to carry the brunt of it. Once again, the answer is us.
Let’s unpack the receipts.
Civil Rights? More like civil wrongs.
Trump’s first days have brought a laser focus on dismantling any progress we’ve clawed to secure. Case in point: the DOJ’s aggressive rollbacks on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Across education, government contracting and employment, his administration has waged war on anything branded as “woke”—translation: anything that dares to level the playing field for Black folks.
And if you think voting rights might be safe, think again. The quiet gutting of protections under the Voting Rights Act has continued, with support for new restrictive measures that disproportionately target Black voters. Voter ID laws? Purging voter rolls? All greenlit under the banner of “election integrity.”
Economics: Trickle down or drown?
The economic promises Trump made to Black America—remember the infamous “what do you have to lose?” line—feel like a bad rerun. In 100 days, we’ve seen tax policies skewing (again) toward the ultra-wealthy, corporate bailouts and little to no meaningful investment in the small Black-owned businesses that are the backbone of our communities. Inflation? Skyrocketing housing costs? Stagnant wages? Black families are disproportionately feeling the squeeze, while billionaires enjoy fresh breaks.
And Trumpsters are quick to cite his commitment to Opportunity Zones, which Trump touted as a way to bring investment into predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods. However, critics say the program primarily benefits wealthy developers without strong safeguards to help residents or prevent displacement.
Policing & injustice: The same old playbook
Policing and criminal justice? Trump’s administration has doubled down on “law and order,” with policies emboldening police departments while sidelining critical reforms. Efforts to address qualified immunity? Dead on arrival. Federal oversight of problematic police departments? Rolled back.
For Black families who’ve marched, mourned and fought for justice, these 100-plus days have been a slap in the face—a reminder that Black lives still sit far too low on the national priority list. Under Trump, the DOJ scaled back investigations into police departments accused of systemic discrimination (like Ferguson and Baltimore), pulling back from Obama-era consent decrees aimed at reform.
Healthcare and the Black body
Let’s not forget healthcare. Black communities are already battling racial disparities in everything from maternal mortality to chronic disease. Under Trump, we’ve seen renewed attacks on the Affordable Care Act—our already thin lifeline for coverage, leaving many wondering how much worse this can get. Spoiler: it can. And it likely will if this trajectory continues.
The cultural war front
And then there’s the culture war. From banning books that tell our stories to rewriting history curricula that focus on whiteness, Trump’s administration has fueled a broader assault on Black intellectual and creative life. We’ve seen teachers threatened, libraries stripped bare and students robbed of an honest education. The intent is clear: erase us or reframe us.
Where do we go from here?
So yes, as we look ahead to the next 100 days, we know this is just the beginning—and a pretty clear blueprint of what’s to come. For the Black community, this isn’t new. We’ve seen how administrations—Democrat or Republican—can neglect or outright harm us. But what is new is the growing resistance, the grassroots organizing and the refusal to be silenced. Whether through mobilizing voters, supporting Black-owned businesses or amplifying our media (shout out to the Defender Network), we continue to build power even when the deck is stacked.
Trump’s first 100 days have been telling. They’ve told us that the fight is far from over, and during the next 100 days, we can not sit idly by.
