‘We are getting ready to change American history’

Jamal H. Bryant launches “Project 5-5-5” to mobilize black voters for 2024 Presidential election 

ATLANTA– Jamal H. Bryant, pastor of the mega New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, in partnership with several local community leaders, announced the launch of a Get-Out-the-Vote movement dubbed “Project 5-5-5” on Monday, Aug. 5, during an event held at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

With less than 100 days left before the 2024 Presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and former Republican President Donald Trump, Bryant said Project 5-5-5 is critical.

In breaking news today (Aug. 6) Harris announced her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a politician with humble roots whom Harris said will fight for middle class families.

At the Project 5-5-5 launch, Bryan called on community leaders to reach out to the bedrock of the black community—from grassroots organizations to civic and faith institutions big and small to join the Project 5-5-5 movement in solidarity to push voter registration on Sept. 5 and Oct. 5, and then on Nov. 5—Election Day—to mobilize rides to the polls.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are getting ready to change American history—not because of Project 2025(the Republicans’ agenda) but because we lead with a focused, laser determination of 5-5-5,” Bryant said.  

“…Ladies and gentlemen, it is incumbent upon us not to just talk amongst ourselves but to go to the barbershops, basketball courts, and to the street corners and those who don’t speak as well as us, who are not educated as high as us would know that they have the same passion and share the same oppression as us,” Bryant urged.

A united push, Bryant said, is critical to eliminating the Republican agenda, Project 2025.  Published by the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025, he said, would raise taxes for the working class, cut Social Security and Medicare, end Civil Rights, eliminate the Free Lunch program for children and defund Homeland Security and the FBI, among many other proposed actions that would be detrimental to Americans.

“We don’t have the luxury to not participate in this election, especially with the agenda by the Republicans for the first 180 days of their capture of the White House,” Bryant said.

Bryant said that he is overwhelmingly concerned about the “plague of apathy that’s sweeping this generation,” pointing out that in the 10 swing states, there are 10 million eligible unregistered voters.

“…I want you to leave no door left unknocked. Let no phone number left untexted….,” Bryant told the audience on Monday evening.

The Project 5-5-5 launch opened with remarks by Rashad Richey, a prominent talk show host and a representative of the Carter Center and the introduction of Bryant by Congressman Hank Johnson, who represents Georgia’s Fourth District.   

The program included remarks by several leaders from DeKalb County, where Bryant leads New Birth Missionary Baptist church, which sits in the City of Stonecrest. Those community leaders include Bernard Levett,president of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County;  Stonecrest Mayor Jazzmin Cobble; Johni Cruse Craig, Social Action Chair of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Stone Mountain-Lithonia Alumni; Yatonya Oliver, president Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Lambda Epsilon Omega Chapter(DeKalb Alumni); and Darrel Taylor, president of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Decatur Alumni. 

Others who spoke at the launch were Virginia Harris, president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.; and Mo Ivory, Atlanta District 4 Commissioner-Elect.

Photos and video by Glenn L. Morgan