Black Leaders Cheer Trump’s Support for Religious Freedom in Schools

17 Sep 2025Black Leaders Cheer Trump's Support for Religious Freedom in Schools

The U.S. Department of Education will soon strengthen the right to pray in school, President Trump recently announced. "To have a great nation, you have to have religion," he said during a meeting of the Religious Liberty Commission at the Museum of the Bible.

Ambassadors with the Project 21 black leadership network are responding to this announcement, as well as the role of faith in both our public and private lives.

Charisma Peoples, Project 21 Ambassador and Howard University School of Divinity Student:

Prayer changes things. The reintroduction of prayer into educational institutions serves as a mechanism to restore the presence of God within our academic frameworks. The removal of prayer precipitated an atmospheric decline marked by heightened violence alongside immoral indoctrination and acceptance of unethical behavior.

Prayer serves as a guiding force for students while it simultaneously fosters good citizenship among them. Consequently students find reassurance in the belief that their day will receive blessings and they have a source of support during times of trouble. The reintroduction of prayer into public spaces will propel this nation forward in educational advancement while simultaneously elevating our collective trust in God as part of our religious heritage.

Our children must understand that their entitlement to religious freedom applies universally across all places and activities without exception.

Dr. Ronald D. Gates, Sr., Project 21 Ambassador and Pastor:

Bringing prayer back into schools restores one of the foundational values upon which our nation was built. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution both acknowledge the role of divine guidance in securing liberty and justice.

President Trump's call to protect prayer in schools strengthens the free exercise of religion and ensures that faith is not silenced in the next generation. This move affirms that spiritual freedom is not only a personal right but also a cornerstone of America's moral fabric. To put it simply: Prayer invokes God's presence!

Marie Fischer, Project 21 Ambassador and Jewish Activist:

I applaud President Trump for constantly taking a firm stand for religious freedom. So many forget our country was founded by those who initially were breaking away from the Church of England.

I feel it would be a blessing if children are given the option to practice their religion in school without being penalized for it by school administrators or teachers, whether it be a moment of silence or children not being penalized for missing school days due to religious holidays.

However, I do worry that this may open the door to other situations such as the one that came up a few years ago when Satanists in Chesapeake County, VA wanted to create a club in a school. In that case they used the freedom of religion argument, since other religious organizations were using school resources. Do we draw a line as to what religions are acceptable or considered mainstream, and if we do, is there still freedom of religion?

Curtis T. Hill, Jr., Project 21 Ambassador and Former Attorney General of Indiana:

As Indiana's former Attorney General, I stand firmly in support of President Trump's America Prays initiative, which rightly defends the God-given rights of our children to pray and practice their faith in schools without fear or interference.

This bold measure recognizes a timeless truth: our liberties flow not from the halls of government, but from the Creator Himself, and any attempt to sever that connection only invites national decline, as we've witnessed since prayer was banished from classrooms six decades ago. By championing this revival of faith, we pave the way for America's restoration, fostering stronger families, communities and a generation equipped with the moral clarity to lead us forward.

Horace Cooper, Project 21 Chairman:

Freedom of faith is a quintessential requirement for self-government. By making Freedom of Religion part of the First Amendment, our Founders bestowed on all Americans - then and today - a great protection that has allowed faith to flourish.

Unfortunately the left has eroded that freedom, arguing that religious expression is too bigoted and uninformed. Thankfully the Trump Administration is reversing this trend. A nation filled with faith practitioners is a safer, more moral one in which our children can live and thrive. Our Founders knew this, and President Trump rightly agrees.

Terris E. Todd, Project 21 Director of Coalitions and Outreach:

Our faith is the cornerstone of a free and moral society that is being challenged on a daily basis by those seeking to carry out an agenda guaranteed to cause our destruction. Thankfully our children and future generations will be able to stand firm, knowing someone in this generation has stood on the faith that was once delivered to the saints, and is paving the way for a more righteous and just way of life.

The president has gotten this right, and should be commended for taking the actions necessary for our nation.

Dr. Takosha Swan, Project 21 Ambassador:

Since prayer has been removed from schools, ideologies and indoctrinations of confusion and immorality have stepped in.

President Trump's new initiative "America Prays" will be the foundation of renewing the minds of our young people and empowering them to bring back peace and unity to our nation.