By Aswad Walker
Historically, just before the implementation of some of the world’s most horrendous acts against humanity, there have been what theologians call “prophets of doom,” individuals who warn of coming injustices in hopes of rallying people to stop impending atrocities before they start.
Also, historically, these “town criers” are most often ignored and brushed off as crazy for suggesting things could get as bad as they predict.
Tamani Mwandani, founder of 3 Levels Edutainment (3LE), is one such soul tasked with sounding the alarm about what he sees as doom on the horizon for Black people and America via Project 2025, the Republican Party’s 900-plus-page “Presidential Transition Project.”
Mwandani hopes he’s not ignored. And on one level, he’s not. There are several people nationally and globally sounding the alarm about Project 2025 and its goal to overthrow U.S. democracy. However, nationally and locally, there’s very little Black barbershop buzz or social media chatter about Project 2025, and according to Mwandani, even less of an understanding of the project’s negative implications for Blackworld.
“Not since the presidency of Ronald Reagan and his ‘trickle-down economics,’ ‘welfare queens,’ the flooding of Black communities with crack cocaine, which was extremely detrimental and harmful to the forward progress of Black people, have Black, Brown and grassroots communities faced a greater threat than that of Project 2025,” said Mwandani, whose organization is hosting a multi-weekend community gathering (June 9 and June 23) to break down Project 2025 and its most dangerous goals.
What Exactly Is Project 2025
Essentially, Project 2025 is the Republican Party’s plan to remake or dismantle the entire federal government in the image of neo-conservative, white evangelical “Christians” who believe in the superiority of whites, the inherent inferiority and criminality of Blacks and the idea that these white “Christian” soldiers are called by God to save America from people of color, immigrants, women and “the woke.”
“Project 202, based on the Unitary Executive Theory that asserts the president has absolute power over the Executive Branch and its 15 national departments, aims to eliminate, overhaul and/or restructure the U.S. government into a ‘Christian’ nationalist governing body which is guaranteed to negatively affect the lives of millions of Black, Brown and poor grassroots people,” said Mwandani.
“It’s talking about ending democracy and creating a monarchy or dictator-style government.”
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd said this in a statement about Project 2025:
“Donald Trump is running on the extreme and unpopular Project 2025 agenda, plain and simple – and there is nothing Trump or his allies can say to distance themselves from this losing platform. Project 2025 is being run by Trump allies, modeled after Trump’s words, and designed to allow Trump to enact his dangerous agenda to be a ‘dictator on day one.’ The truth is, Trump will have nobody to blame but himself – and his out-of-touch MAGA allies like the Heritage Foundation – when the American people make him a loser again this November.”
Politico said this: “Many of the authors of the blueprint are former Trump officials, and the Heritage Foundation has spent the past year-plus recruiting people to implement the plans within the administration. So they don’t just have a long, sprawling policy document, they also have a growing list of staff who are being tested to see if they are loyal to Trump and if they are willing to administer this in his potential administration.”
One big concern from multiple Democrats and Republicans who see Trump and Project 2025 as direct assaults against American Democracy is that while ultra-conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation have put forward conservative policy proposals consistently in the past, Project 2025 is distinct in that it’s so comprehensive and far-reaching.
According to Mwandani, Project 2025 is nine years in the making.
“From June 19, 1865 to now, 159 years later, the lives of Black people are still being determined by the agendas of those in power. Everything that happened to Black people before we got the news that we were ‘free’ on June 19, 1865 was public policy which means it was the political agenda of others. In 2024, we’re now facing yet another assault on our day-to-day lives per the agenda of others who are not only very serious, but very organized in their goals to reshape America,” stated Mwandani.
The Week wrote this: “Former Trump staffers involved with Project 2025 include former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Trump’s former senior adviser Stephen Miller, the latter of whom has been described as a white nationalist. However, as New York Magazine said, many of Trump’s indicated plans for a second term fall in line with the Project 2025 outline. This includes giving the president unchecked power over federal agencies and the total ability to bypass Congress. He has also pledged to appoint a special prosecutor to go after the Biden family and other political opponents, as well as the installation of loyalists throughout the government.”
Project 2025 has also been described as a government=in-waiting, with a nearly 1,000-page “Project 2025” handbook and an “army” of Americans with a white nationalist-leaning civic infrastructure already in place on Day One of the next Trump presidency to commandeer, reshape and do away with what Republicans deride as the “deep state” bureaucracy, in part by firing as many as 50,000 federal workers.
“We need to flood the zone with conservatives,” said Paul Dans, director of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project and a former Trump administration official.
“This is a clarion call to come to Washington. People need to lay down their tools, and step aside from their professional life and say, ‘This is my lifetime moment to serve,’” added Dans, sounding like a call-to-arms to go to war with those Project 2025 and Trump supporters deem to be their enemies – Biden, Democrats, Blacks, Hispanics, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals and groups, university professors, scientists, Muslims or any individuals or entities practicing faiths other than white evangelical “Christianity.”
Central to this charge is the participation of far-right, ultra-conservative, anti-Black organizations, many of which are new to national politics, though some have been participating for decades. Also different is the focus of Republicans who once preached small government and limited government ”intrusion” into the lives of Americans. With Project 2025, these same “small government” disciples are promoting a plan that will call for the biggest intrusion of government into the lives of Americans in U.S. history.
“This is a clarion call to come to Washington. People need to lay down their tools, and step aside from their professional life and say, ‘This is my lifetime moment to serve,’” added Dans, sounding like a call-to-arms to go to war with those Project 2025 and Trump supporters deem to be their enemies – Biden, Democrats, Blacks, Hispanics, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals and groups, university professors, scientists, Muslims or any individuals or entities practicing faiths other than white evangelical “Christianity.”
Central to this charge is the participation of far-right, ultra-conservative, anti-Black organizations, many of which are new to national politics, though some have been participating for decades. Also different is the focus of Republicans who once preached small government and limited government ”intrusion” into the lives of Americans. With Project 2025, these same “small government” disciples are promoting a plan that will call for the biggest intrusion of government into the lives of Americans in U.S. history.
Most Dangerous Aspects
Here are just some of the many disturbing and dangerous aspects of Project 2025:
- Advises the future president to immediately deploy the military for domestic law enforcement and to direct the DOJ to pursue Trump’s adversaries by invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807.
- Recommends the arrest, detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants across the country. The Project promotes capital punishment and the speedy “finality” of such sentences
- Urges the government to explicitly reject abortion as health care and to restrict access to contraception.
- Proposes removing protections against discrimination based on sexual or gender identity and terminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs as well as affirmative action.
- Recommends abolishing the Department of Education, whose programs would be either transferred to other government agencies or terminated. Scientific research would only receive federal funding if it suits white conservative principles.
- Proposes slashing funding for the Department of Justice, dismantling the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Proposes sharply reducing environmental and climate change regulations to favor fossil fuel production, eliminating the Department of Commerce and ending the independence of various federal agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Project director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, explained that Project 2025 is “systematically preparing to march into office and bring a new army of aligned, trained and essentially weaponized conservatives ready to do battle against the deep state.”
“Deep state” is a term used by neo-conservatives to describe any individual, governmental entity or laws and policies that block them from dismantling rights for Blacks, Hispanics, women, LGBTQ+, immigrants, etc., suppressing votes, eliminating environmental protections and regulations and freeing wealthy individuals and corporations from having to pay taxes.
What’s The Call to Action
One of the main calls to action issued across the country by those who fear that Project 2025 will bring an end to American democracy, allow Trump to criminalize and attack any individual or organization he doesn’t like, and allow him to remain in office for life, is to use the power of the vote.
“When the Supreme Court has been rigged in alt-white conservatives’ favor, and Washington is gridlocked, voting is literally our last defense; democracy’s last defense,” said African American Studies Professor Thomas Allen.
Mwandani has issued calls and invitations for university professors, Black business owners, activists and grassroots organizations to attend a pair of upcoming events aimed at educating Houston’s Black community about Project 2025, and what can be done to stop its implementation.
“The Political Chess Game for Power: From Juneteenth to Project 2025” is the name of the 3LE-sponsored pair of events. The first, on Sun., June 9 will feature a Project 2025 panel discussion. The second event (June 23) will feature a film festival and discussion. Both Days will offer sessions of solutions to challenges identified, service providers, vendors, food trucks and talent competitions for adults and youth.
Both events will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at World Harvest Outreach, 10800 Scott St, 77047.
This article was originally published in The Houston Defender .
