WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new multi-state poll conducted between May and June revealed that the most pressing issues facing Black families in 2025 are economic instability and limited access to health care. According to In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda (NBWRJA), Black women at the height of their reproductive age, typically between 18 and 44, “continue to face the greatest systemic barriers to achieving Reproductive Justice.”
The poll surveyed 5,000 Black adults across 10 states. It was conducted by PerryUndem, commissioned by NBWRJA, and administered by Ipsos. The organization stated, “The margin of sampling error ranges from ±5.7 to ±6.6 percentage points, varying by state.”
One particularly notable finding was that “90% of respondents [reported] that Medicaid has been important to them and/or their families,” according to NBWRJA, whose mission is to “ensure policymakers and political leaders understand—and respond to—the realities, priorities, and values of Black voters. It also serves as a reminder of the collective power of Black communities in shaping the policies that define our future.”
The data showed that more than half of surveyed Black adults across the states reported struggling with financial insecurity. Over 90% of respondents said Medicaid has been important to them or their families. More than 80% said dismantling systemic racism is necessary for Black families to thrive. Large majorities across all demographics expressed support for abortion rights and access.
In 2024, NBWRJA commissioned another survey titled The Lives and Voices of Black Families in 2024, conducted by PerryUndem. That survey focused exclusively on Black women who were registered voters across nine states.
According to NBWRJA, the goal was to “motivate politicians seeking office to respond to the needs, values, and perspectives of Black voters through a Reproductive Justice lens in order to earn our support.” Conducted between Jan. 22 and Jan. 27, 2024, among 1,005 Black women, the survey had a margin of sampling error of ±3.5 percentage points. Findings revealed that the cost of living, maternal health, housing affordability, and racism were the most urgent concerns for respondents.
A similar survey was conducted in 2022 ahead of the midterm elections. The initial round of data collection took place in May, before both the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Later that year, in September, additional surveys were conducted across seven states. Post-Roe findings showed a noticeable shift in priorities: “Abortion rights [became] a higher voting priority across nearly all states,” with more voters including it in their top five concerns. Black women, in particular, were significantly more likely after the Roe decision to support candidates who advocated for abortion rights and access, according to NBWRJA.
The findings underscore how Black families, especially Black women, continue to be disproportionately affected by limited access to health care, threats to reproductive rights, and ongoing racial discrimination. Most importantly, the data highlights the vital role of voting and equitable political representation for communities most impacted by systemic inequities.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
