Project 21: Press Releases

Members of the black leadership network Project 21 are encouraged by the findings of a new government study reporting that the number of black-owned businesses in America grew significantly between 1997 and 2002.  Project 21 members hail this trend as a strong indicator that blacks are successfully taking advantage of the opportunities available to them in the post-civil rights era. The Census Bureau's report, "Survey of Business Owners: 2002," notes that the number of black-owned businesses in America rose by 45 percent between 1997 and 2002 to almost 1.2 million.  At the same time, the combined revenues of these businesses ...
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Project 21 members have the following comments on the current grand jury investigation of U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) for her alleged assault on a U.S. Capitol police officer: "McKinney should be arrested and prosecuted for assault, just like any other American," said Project 21 member Deroy Murdock.  "That's called equal justice under law.  She should look into it." Murdock added: "Rather than explain herself and apologize for hitting this officer, which would make this whole thing go away, Representative McKinney decided to go ballistic and turn this into a matter of alleged sexism and racism.  Are the Capitol Police ...
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With negotiations to resolve the human rights crisis in the Sudanese province of Darfur at an impasse, members of the black leadership network Project 21 applaud the Bush Administration for its work to promote human rights and stop further violence against the residents of that embattled African region. "This is America in one of her finest hours.  Our nation has taken a firm stand against ethnic cleansing and genocide," said Project 21 member Kevin Martin, who has participated in many of the recent demonstrations held outside of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington.  "The White House has effectively worked with Congress ...
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As Reverend Jesse Jackson and others prepare to march in opposition to scheduled city government elections in New Orleans, members of the black leadership network Project 21 are supportive of a New Orleans-based federal judge's ruling clearing the way for voting to be held on and leading up to April 22. In his March 27 ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle acknowledged inherent difficulties in holding the election so soon after the chaos and displacement caused by Hurricane Katrina, but also stressed it is necessary for the elections to take place on schedule.  To accommodate New Orleans voters ...
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Now that federal prosecutors have announced that they plan to bring criminal charges against a former Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee staff member who allegedly illegally obtained the credit report of Maryland Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele (R), and media reports indicate the accused has agreed to plead guilty, members of the Project 21 black leadership network call upon DSCC Chairman Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) to apologize for the DSCC's violation of this black conservative's privacy. "Criminal acts of this magnitude illustrate how low some on the left will stoop in the hope of gaining an advantage," said Project 21 member Deneen ...
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Members of the black leadership network Project 21 are criticizing cable sports commentator Bryant Gumbel for injecting race and politics into remarks about the Winter Olympics, which are currently being held in Torino, Italy.  Project 21 members note that the remarks made by Gumbel, who formerly hosted NBC's "Today" morning program prior to his current program on HBO, demean the accomplishments of the competing athletes and stir racial tensions where none should exist. In the closing monologue of the February 7 edition of HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel," Gumbel said about the Winter Olympics: "Count me among those who ...
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Members of the black leadership network Project 21 are outraged by political grandstanding by speakers at the funeral for civil rights icon Coretta Scott King. In eulogies at the February 7 funeral, former President Jimmy Carter and Reverend Joseph Lowery criticized the Bush Administration.  President Carter attempted to tie the Bush Administration's terrorist surveillance efforts to 1960s-era FBI wiretaps of the King family. Reverend Lowery spoke about Iraq, health care and poverty.  President Bush was in attendance. "I find it shameful that not even the service to honor the stellar life of Coretta Scott King is exempt from classless political behavior ...
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Members of the black leadership network Project 21 are appalled by comments NAACP chairman Julian Bond reportedly made during a recent speech in North Carolina.  Members say the radical nature of Bond's comments are detrimental to the civil rights group's reputation and its ability to function within the non-partisan confines of its non-profit status. As reported by WorldNetDaily, Bond's comments came during a February 1 speech at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  Bond is said to have called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and predecessor Colin Powell "tokens."  He also compared the Bush Administration's judicial nominees to the ...
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Virginia residents affiliated with the Project 21 black leadership network urge action in the commonwealth to protect property owners from eminent domain abuse.  They are issuing a challenge to lawmakers and other public officials to make Virginia a safe haven for private property owners and take the lead in providing the necessary protection to homes and small businesses that are particularly vulnerable to eminent domain abuse. Last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Kelo v. New London not only failed to rein in government abuse of eminent domain, but it emboldened state and local governments nationwide to target and seize ...
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Members of the black leadership network Project 21 are mourning the passing of Coretta Scott King.  Project 21 members praise her legacy of exhibiting strong family unity in the face of great personal tragedy and for maintaining her husband's dream of equal rights for all. Mrs. King, the widow of the slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reportedly died in her sleep.  She suffered from a heart attack and a stroke in 2005.  The Kings married in 1953, and had four children before Dr. King was assassinated in 1968.  After his death, Mrs. King continued to raise ...
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As Americans prepare to observe Black History Month, members of the black leadership network Project 21 are condemning U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) for calling Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas an "abomination." During a teleconference with reporters on January 25 to discuss the current Senate debate over Judge Samuel A. Alito's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Rocky Mountain News reported that Senator Salazar said, "I think [Justice Thomas] is an abomination when you contrast him to the leadership and principles of someone like Thurgood Marshall." Project 21 member Mychal Massie commented: "Clarence Thomas rose up from poverty and ...
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Black activists are applauding the New Orleans non-profit "Community of Faith for Economic Empowerment," commonly known as COFFEE, for pledging to make public a full report on how Katrina aid monies it apparently received from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation are being spent. Members of the black leadership network Project 21 now call upon the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation itself to resolve lingering questions about the disbursal of Hurricane Katrina aid raised by the CBCF. After Congressional Black Caucus members criticized the Bush Administration on September 2 for allegedly-inadequate Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, the CBCF announced plans to raise $1 ...
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A clergyman affiliated with the black leadership network Project 21 is questioning the sincerity of New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin in light of comments Nagin made during a city observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. During the January 16 event, Mayor Nagin said: "Surely God is mad at America.  He sent us hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on our country." "Mayor Nagin is a politician who rightly came under fire for numerous missteps surrounding Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.  Now he is practicing plantation politics in an attempt to keep his job," said Project ...
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With former singing star Harry Belafonte's anti-American rhetoric apparently increasing in fervor, members of the black leadership network Project 21 call upon prominent Americans - especially those who find themselves sharing a stage with Belafonte - to disavow his anti-American radicalism and his practice of harshly attacking the character of those who disagree with his policy views. During a recent visit with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, Belafonte and praised the anti-American, anti-human rights Chavez regime, saying, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: ...
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Citing the hypocrisy of Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members in criticizing federal relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina while their own nonprofit foundation held onto hundreds of thousands of dollars of corporate donations intended for rebuilding the shattered Gulf Coast, black activists with the Project 21 leadership network are demanding that all funds collected by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation be accounted for and immediately distributed to needy survivors. "We know of no plausible reason for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to continue the shameful abandonment of the victims of Hurricane Katrina through continued procrastination," said Project 21 ...
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With the execution of former gang leader and convicted murderer Stanley "Tookie" Williams virtually assured to occur tonight, members of the black leadership network Project 21 are calling on the public to remain calm as justice is administered. They are also critical of those who seek to elevate Williams to hero status despite his conviction and his history steeped in violence. "There can be no clemency for someone directly responsible for the murders of four innocent people and indirectly responsible for the deaths of possibly thousands more through his founding and leadership of one of the America's worst street gangs," ...
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Members of the black leadership network Project 21 are criticizing the decision of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to formally oppose and call for a filibuster of the nomination of Judge Samuel A. Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court in advance of Senate hearings. Confirmation hearings on Judge Alito are scheduled to begin on January 9, but CBC members - including Senator Barack Obama, who will actually cast a vote on the nomination - voted unanimously to oppose the Alito nomination over a month in advance of those hearings. "The Congressional Black Caucus's rush to condemn Judge Alito in advance ...
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In light of the racial indignities being foisted upon Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele, a black Republican who recently announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate, members of the black leadership group Project 21 call on all candidates and political parties to shun both the use of such tactics and individuals who employ them. Steele most recently was portrayed as a white minstrel in blackface on a left-wing blog, but has suffered other racial indignities such as being pelted with Oreo cookies at the historically-black Morgan State University in Baltimore and being called "Uncle Tom," among other epithets.  Project 21 members ...
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Members of the black leadership network Project 21 are condemning a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial in which United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is said to need as "asterisk" next to his name with regard to his race because he "does not represent the views of mainstream black America." In an editorial written by Greg Stanford that appeared in the October 31 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that was largely critical of the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, Stanford also chose to take issue with Justice Thomas's racial allegiance.  ...
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Commenting on Harriet Miers's decision to withdraw her nomination for the currently open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, members of the black leadership network Project 21 are asking President George W. Bush to abide by his stated commitment to nominate individuals to the Court who will adhere to the original intent of the Founding Fathers. "Harriet Miers knew it was best to withdraw her nomination for the good of the country and for her own well-being," said Project 21 member Deneen Moore. "When President Bush told the country he was going to nominate a Supreme Court justice with viewpoints ...
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