PROJECT 21’S CRAIG DeLUZ on why convervative black leaders demand Verizon reinstate One America News on its television platform. DeLUZ, a successful media exec, discusses critical race theory and more

Black leaders from Project 21 demand that Verizon reinstate One America News (OAN) on its television platform. In a letter signed by 37 members representing the communities of business, politics, media and faith, Project 21 explained that Verizon did "a tremendous disservice to its subscribers, investors and free speech [and]... is silencing black voices" when it canceled OAN. Verizon stopped carrying OAN on its Fios platform at the end of July. Its cancellation marked the end of a 17-year relationship between the news channel and the carrier. Left-wing groups are aggressively pushing media companies to drop the conservative-leaning OAN from their platforms. In the letter, Project 21 said: "Do what's right for black America, for your investors and for the country by reinstating OAN immediately." In the letter addressed to Verizon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg, the three dozen Project 21 signors criticized the abrupt decision that appeased political special interests over viewers, noting this imperils access to information and debate: "Allowing a political pressure campaign to decide which news and information programs Americans have access to undermines free speech and sets a precedent that will only encourage further demands. This is particularly dangerous as this pressure appears to only go one way - anti-conservative and, in this case, anti-black." "You have now projected weakness, inviting those further demands," Project 21 warned Vestberg. It was suggested Verizon's capitulation could lead to the removal of other channels in the future. Among those who signed the letter to Verizon are Project 21 Chairman Horace Cooper; Stacy Washington, a host on SiriusXM satellite radio; Alveda King, founder of speakforlife(.org) and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Star Parker, president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE); Julian Boykin, CEO of Acquisition Consulting Experts; Reverend Albert Sampson, president of the Chicago's Metropolitan Council of Black Churches and Chris Arps, host at NewstalkSTL-St. Louis. A full copy of the letter and its signers is available at https://nationalcenter.org/project-21-oan-letter. Project 21, a leading voice of black conservatives for over 25 years, is sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research. Its members have been quoted, interviewed or published over 40,000 times since the program was created in 1992. Contributions to the National Center are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated, and may be earmarked exclusively for the use of Project 21.