Scholars and program leaders signaled an emergency for Black‑studies departments as states and institutions curtail programs, reclassify courses, or pause graduate support. Panelists at Columbia University’s emergency forum described shuttering at the University of Texas and paused doctoral support at the University of Louisville after Kentucky’s HB4; Florida’s SB266 removed general‑education designations for longtime courses. Faculty reported targeted legislative actions, administrative preemptive cuts and funding restrictions that are eroding program capacity and graduate training. Legal challenges and coordinated advocacy efforts are emerging, but participants warned that anticipatory compliance by institutions is producing rapid program attrition.