El Dorado County (July 27, 2024) – In a bold move, Black leaders are presenting an alternative to Project 2025, the conservative plan set to guide the next Republican administration. The new initiative, Project FREEDOM, is spearheaded by Until Freedom, Live Free, MPower Action, Woke Vote, and the KAIROS Democracy Project (KDP). This campaign aims to mobilize voters of color through canvassing, phone calls, and digital campaigns in the days leading up to the election.
Four Pillars of Project FREEDOM
Project FREEDOM is built on four core demands:
- The Freedom to Live
- The Freedom to Learn
- The Freedom to Vote
- The Freedom to Thrive
The initiative will focus on seven key states: Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, and New York, aiming to mobilize communities of color in these areas.
Mobilizing Communities for Democracy
Michael Blake, founder and CEO of KDP, emphasized the importance of this project in mobilizing communities. “We have been listening and being told that there are no aspirational policies or visions that people can align with. We want to say it’s the complete opposite,” said Blake. “We’re very clear that we have permission to dream, to live out our policies, and to declare our freedom.”
Blake stressed that Project FREEDOM is not tied to any candidate or party but is focused on the people. “This is not just about this election, it’s about things that are so much bigger and beyond it,” he added. “It is giving us ourselves permission to dream about the democracy that we deserve.”
Comprehensive Policy Agenda
Project FREEDOM has outlined 16 policy focuses, including ending gun violence, mass incarceration, and police brutality. It advocates for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and calls for an end to the conflicts in Palestine and Sudan.
Tamika Mallory, co-founder of Until Freedom, highlighted the need for an alternative to Project 2025. “There is a void in this moment,” she said. “People need something else to say, ‘No, this is what America should look like. These are the things we should be fighting for.’ Out with Project 2025 and in with Project FREEDOM.”
Protecting Black History and Voting Rights
The platform also demands the protection of Black history in education, cancellation of student loan debt, and reparations for slavery. Additionally, Project FREEDOM envisions a nation with robust voting rights, advocating for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the implementation of automatic voter registration. These changes address long-standing concerns about voter suppression, voiced by organizations such as the NAACP and the Congressional Black Caucus.
Long-Term Vision
Though Project FREEDOM counters Project 2025, its organizers clarify that their platform was in development long before the conservative plan’s release. “It became clear that what was happening was not enough, and we were not doing right by our folks by sitting on the sidelines,” said Blake. The project’s launch was expedited by the attention around Project 2025.
Rev. Stephen A. Green, chair of Faith for Black Lives, connected the initiative to significant historical milestones. “This is about celebrating the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer and the approaching 250th anniversary of the nation in 2026,” he said. “This is not a 100-day campaign. This is a campaign to lead us for the next 100 years, really the next 250 years, of American democracy.”
Project FREEDOM represents a comprehensive, long-term vision for a more inclusive and equitable democracy, striving to inspire and mobilize communities of color across the nation.
