14 Jul 2004 Project 21 Press Release: Black Conservative to Rebut NAACP Leader’s Remarks in C-Span Interview

Mychal Massie, a member of the national advisory council of the African-American leadership network Project 21, will appear on the live C-Span program “Washington Journal” on Thursday, July 15 at 9:30 am eastern. He will address recent comments made by NAACP president Kweisi Mfume about black conservatives.

At the NAACP’s annual convention, currently underway in Philadelphia, Mfume said that conservative black organizations are formed and funded by white Republicans. He said: “When the ultraconservative right-wing attacker has run out of attack strategy, he goes and gets someone that looks like you and me to continue the attacks… They can’t deal with the leaders we choose for ourselves, so they manufacture, promote and hire new ones.”

Massie, a retired small businessman and columnist for WorldNetDaily.com, has been a member of Project 21 for approximately one year. Like all Project 21 members, he volunteers his time writing commentaries and making media appearances for the organization. He is not on the payroll of Project 21 or its parent organization, The National Center for Public Policy Research. The National Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that accepts no money from political parties or the government. In 2002, 81 percent of The National Center’s income came from small, individual donations. Donors are not asked to reveal their race. Corporate contributions in 2002 made up only two percent of total donations.

Over the past six months, Project 21 members spoke out against the apparent involvement of NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. president and director-counsel Elaine Jones in delaying the hearings of a Bush Administration nominee to the appellate court deciding the University of Michigan affirmative action case (Jones resigned after a complaint was filed by Project 21 and other groups with the Virginia State Bar). Project 21 was also a leader in criticizing the selection of rapper R. Kelly, who is under indictment on child pornography charges, for an NAACP Image Award (after initially refusing to do so, Mfume is now considering a morals clause for future Image Award nominees).

Project 21 was established after the 1992 Los Angeles riots to promote the views of conservative African-Americans whose voices have been underrepresented in the mainstream media. Project 21 members determine which issues will be addressed, and what will be said. The paid staff provides administrative support.

Project 21 has been a leading voice of the African-American community since 1992. For more information, contact David Almasi at (202) 507-6398 x106 or [email protected], or visit Project 21’s website at http://www.project21.org/P21Index.html.

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