Black Americans are experiencing a concerning decline in overall wellbeing despite improvements in some areas, according to the third annual "Black Thriving in America: 2025" report released Tuesday by the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center in partnership with Gallup's Center on Black Voices.
Dr. M.C.Brown II
"The promise of thriving is slipping for too many," said Dr. N. Joyce Payne, founder of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. "Education, particularly through the transformative power of HBCUs, remains one of the strongest levers we have. It is not merely a pathway to individual success; it is a lifeline to dignity, equity and generational wealth."
The report, which draws from over 90 years of Gallup survey data and three years of longitudinal trends, reveals a complex landscape where modest gains in some areas are overshadowed by troubling declines in others.
Perhaps most concerning are the findings related to workplace equity and career satisfaction. Only 38% of Black American employees strongly agree they are treated with respect at work, reflecting an 8-percentage-point decrease from 2024 and falling below the national average of 40%.
The gender disparities are particularly stark. Just 35% of Black women report being treated with respect at work, down 9 percentage points since 2024, compared to 41% of Black men who experienced their own 8-point decline.
Career wellbeing also suffered, with 53% of Black Americans saying they like what they do occupationally every day, down 3 points from 2024. The steepest decline occurred among young Black adults under 30, where only 39% express job satisfaction, down 8 percentage points from the previous year.
