By Brandon Weathersby
Guest Commentary As we mark another Black History Month, a moment that should honor the resilience and achievements of Black Americans, we instead confront a painful truth: Donald Trump has spent the first year of his second term in office making life harder for Black families, narrowing the pathways to opportunity that earlier generations fought to open, and going to great lengths to strip the nation of an honest accounting of Black history.
This is not abstract. It is not rhetorical. It is real, measurable harm that is being felt in classrooms, workplaces, neighborhoods, and households across the country.
The economic story alone should force us to examine what it means to live under a president who sells prosperity to Black Americans just to rip it away as soon as he is sworn in. Under Trump’s first year, Black unemployment rose to pandemic-era levels, driven by mass federal layoffs that landed hardest on Black workers, who have long relied on public service as a stable path to the middle class when private sector discrimination
closed other doors. And in the private sector, Trump’s pressure campaign to force corporate retreat from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs helped push 300,000 Black women out of the workforce. The result has been a collapse of career ladders that supported entire families and communities—losses that ripple through households already strained by high housing and food costs.
Trump’s attacks also targeted institutions that support Black entrepreneurs, including the Minority Business Development Agency, which has historically delivered billions in capital and contracts and helped create thousands of jobs. Trump attempted to eliminate the agency through an executive order, and even after the courts blocked that effort, its operations have never fully recovered. The message to Black business owners was unmistakable: their progress was never a priority for this administration.
For generations, Black Americans have seen education as a ladder to the middle class and economic stability,
he has failed the country as a whole by stifling opportunity, fueling division, and abandoning any real commitment to shared prosperity. It is a warning about what happens when a president replaces opportunity with grievance and chooses culture war fights over real investment in people. When young people are taught incomplete history or denied education opportunities, and when families cannot rely on stable jobs or critical resources like food assistance, health care, or childcare, the entire country loses ground.
One year into a second Trump term, the consequences are visible across the country as growth for working families of every background has stalled, pathways to education and work have narrowed, and public institutions have been bent toward political theater rather than genuine public service. The setbacks facing Black America are not isolated; they expose a broader pattern of neglect and a government more interested in punishing Americans than in lifting them up.
The rights and opportunities secured by earlier generations are not guaranteed. They depend on leadership that sees prosperity as a shared project and understands that communities thrive when the government invests in their success. That is what Black America deserves, and it is what the entire country deserves. We need leaders who view our history as a source of strength and who treat economic stability and opportunity as national priorities, not bargaining chips in partisan fights.
Trump and the Republicans who rubber-stamp his agenda have shown they will not provide that leadership. Black History Month is a reminder that we can demand
advancement pathways, and preserving affordability so that every scholar has a genuine opportunity to enroll, persist, and thrive. Enrollment management is not simply about numbers; it is about people and purposeful collaboration in service to our community.”
“Dr. Rice’s career reflects a powerful combination of strategic enrollment expertise, operational leadership, and an unwavering commitment to student empowerment,” said President Ronnie Hopkins. “Her passion for cultivating academic cultures where students feel valued and supported aligns perfectly with Voorhees University’s mission and vision for growth.”
As Vice President of Enrollment Management, Dr. Rice will oversee undergraduate and graduate admissions, recruitment strategy, enrollment marketing, financial aid collaboration, pipeline partnerships, and data-informed enrollment forecasting. She will work closely with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Athletics, Alumni Relations, and community partners to strengthen the University’s enrollment trajectory and enhance student persistence from recruitment through graduation.
Her appointment comes during a period of continued institutional momentum for Voorhees University, including academic expansion, innovative partnerships, and its distinction as the only HBCU in the nation to serve as a charter school authorizer.
better for Black America and for the country as a whole.
Brandon Weathersby is the Presidential Communications Director at American Bridge 21st Century.