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REV. AL SHARPTON AND NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK RESPOND TO PRESIDENT’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

REV. AL SHARPTON AND NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK RESPOND TO PRESIDENT’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

NEW YORK, NY (February 25, 2026) — Reverend Al Sharpton and the National Action Network (NAN) today responded to the President’s State of the Union Address, calling it a missed opportunity for genuine unity. Instead, the President has proposed a deeply divisive agenda that fails to reflect the lived realities of Black Americans.

While the President described a thriving economy, the data tells a different story for Black families. Job growth in 2025 was the weakest since 2003, with just 181,000 jobs added over the course of the year. Black unemployment hit its highest point since 2021, reaching 7.5% in December 2025, with Black women’s unemployment rose to 7.3% and Black men’s to 8%.

Meanwhile, the average American family is spending $2,120 more annually on groceries than they were before this administration.

The President’s praise for the rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies across the country glosses over the real-world consequences for Black Americans. The administration has terminated Temporary Protected Status for majority-Black countries including Haiti, Somalia, and Ethiopia, and enacted a visa ban affecting 75 nations — leaving 70% of African nations and 85% of Caribbean nations without access to immigrant visas. This is race-based exclusion in action.

The elimination of the Minority Business Development Agency cuts off $12.4 billion in capital access for Black-owned businesses. The hollowing of the federal workforce with layoffs disguised as ‘efficiency’ and removal of anti-discrimination protections is destroying pathways to upward mobility that generations of Black Americans fought for years to establish.

The President’s renewed push for the SAVE America Act raises serious concerns about voting rights protections. NAN urges the Senate to vote against any legislation that weakens the Voting Rights Act. Compounding these concerns are proposed cuts to food assistance programs, threatening healthcare coverage for 14 million Americans, and the dismantling of the Department of Education.

We have seen this playbook before, but we remain steadfast and unbowed. We call on every chapter, partner, and activist to join us in New York City from April 8th through the 11th for our 35th Annual Convention. We are organized, focused, and ready to meet this moment in 2026.