Black Veterans Project

Friday was an incredibly historic day as Monk v. United States, a legal case that was the strategic vision of Black Veterans Project, Yale Law School (under the leadership of Mike Wishnie) and National Veterans Council for Legal Redress, Inc.(NVCLR), became one of few federal reparations cases to survive a motion to dismiss in American history! “Monk v. United States?is the most important legal case reckoning with the legacy of racial discrimination against Black veterans in our nation’s history,” said?Richard Brookshire, CEO & Co-Founder of Black Veterans Project. “Since its inception, the Department of Veterans Affairs has designed and implemented its benefits programs to reinforce our nation’s racial caste system – neglecting its moral, ethical and legal responsibility to intervene to ensure racism was not a barrier to accessing home loans, education benefits and disability compensation. The consequence has been dire, resulting in hundreds of billions in economic loss to Black veterans and their families since World War II. The court’s ruling denying VA’s motion to dismiss is a historic step toward justice. Black Veterans Project stands in solidarity with Mr. Monk and looks forward to working collaboratively to make reparations real in our lifetime.” “Mr. Monk’s story mirrors the struggles of millions of Black veterans who have faced institutional barriers to accessing the benefits they are rightfully owed. Decades of exclusionary government practices have contributed to generational economic disparities for Black veterans and their families,” said?Daniele A., Co-Founder, Black Veterans Project. “I hope the advancement of?Monk v. United States?spurs a broader societal recognition of the systemic barriers that have impeded Black veterans' from accessing tools to build wealth for themselves and their families. We stand with Mr. Monk, knowing that every step forward in this legal battle moves us beyond platitudes honoring the sacrifice of Black Veterans to restorative measures that rectify these injustices.” “The decision to allow the Monk case to proceed is a seminal moment in American history. The District Court of Connecticut, in deciding to adjudicate Mr. Monk’s claims on the merits, legitimized one of many storied harms levied on African Americans,” said?Daniel Walker, Black Veterans Project Board of Directors. “The disparate treatment of Black veterans can no longer be waived away as conjecture or purely anecdotal; it is now a matter of statistical fact and judicial debate.?Monk v. United States?represents a step toward justice for all veterans and a leap forward in redressing past harms suffered by African Americans at the hands of racially discriminatory systems. Black Veterans Project is honored to serve in furtherance of that cause.” https://lnkd.in/exrR3N3C

I spoke with theGrio’s Natasha S. Alford about the President Elect’s selection of Pete Hegseth — an anti-diversity, equity and inclusion extremist, as the next Secretary of Defense. It’s important to remember that a third of military personnel report white nationalism in the ranks and Black service members remain nearly twice as likely to leave the military with an other than honorable discharge. Efforts to dismantle affirmative action at military academies abound and Hegseth’s vow to purge top brass who’ve engaged in equity and inclusion work is frankly — treasonous. We are facing the full rollback of decades of racial progress in uniform. The promise to undo base re-namings honoring Confederate Generals is insulting, and Hegseth’s rabidly racist dog whistles about a ‘woke-military’ make him a wholefully unqualified choice. His selection is a slap in the face to every Black member of our nation’s fighting force.

My latest for Queerty | Native Son — This past weekend, I toured the Pentagon with a group of mothers from Jack and Jill of America. I felt their children’s excitement as they played in the halls, admiring the historical placards on the walls and envisioning futures for themselves in uniform. It worried me. I don’t place military service on a pedestal. Despite wearing our nation’s uniform, my allegiance has never been to its flag but to its people — namely, Black people. This tension has permanently colored my perspective on patriotism. On Veterans Day, it’s difficult not to contemplate the many ways America’s ceaseless wars have ravaged Black folk. In a nation whose economic foundation is built on exploiting its poor to wage war, the benefits of military service have often been made conditional for Black America. Whether as a means to escape slavery, thwart Jim Crow, avoid mass incarceration, or flee poverty, our military-industrial complex has relied on our unwavering self-determination to lift ourselves out of our material condition by any means necessary. For generations, recruiting stations have siphoned untold numbers of Black youth into the mechanics of empire and war, only to spit them back out with little to no apparatus of support to catch them. I think of their stories when I read about suicide rates, veteran homelessness, incarceration, and aging Black veterans living in poverty. Nothing tells this story quite like the work of the Black Veterans Project, the organization I’ve been privileged to lead over the last six years. Read the rest of my thoughts at the link —

Over the last year I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors of the Black Veterans Project led by the incredible Richard Brookshire. While my board service has ended, I will continue to be a champion of their work! On this #Veterans Day, let us remember and honor the millions of people who have bravely served our country only to be counted out, discarded, and barred from accessing promised benefits. My maternal grandfather, Alton Felder, served in the navy and the army, fighting abroad in World War II and in the Korean War. He became a master sergeant, the highest non-commissioned officer role at the time. He was responsible for infantry training. In World War II and Korea, he served in the 24th infantry regiment of the 25th division, one of the last all Black divisions of the army. He, like the vast majority of the 1.2 million Black Americans who served in WWII were ‘redlined’ from fully reaping the benefits of the GI bill. The same GI bill that thousands of white men and their families used to buy homes, pursue higher education and in doing so, accumulate wealth that would be transferred down and grown through generations. Disparity in access to veterans benefits continues today. A report from as recently as 2017 showed Black Veterans were denied PTSD benefits 57% of the time compared to 43% of the time for white veterans. Black Veterans, like both of my grandfathers and more recently my brother (US Marine Corps), are a powerful and courageous constituency. They are also overlooked and underinvested in. There is no reason these individuals and their descendants should not reap the benefits they were promised. Support Black Veterans Project with a donation today to help their incredible work to unearth these disparities and advocate to honor and secure the legacy of Black veterans. https://lnkd.in/gP56TU8R

To kick off Veterans and Military Families Month,?Black Veterans Project?hosted our inaugural Equity Reception in Washington, D.C., at the acclaimed Wolly Mammoth Theater. We were humbled to have?Jimmy Anderson?open the evening's panel featuring?Julia Metcalf, PhD,?Claradith E. L.,?and Sonia Kumar (ACLU of Maryland), who joined BVP CEO Richard Brookshire for an in-depth dialogue about current threats to racial justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion across the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs and the path forward. Many thanks to MaCherie Dunbar for spearheading this inaugural event and to Daniel Walker, Ravi Perry, Mary L. Tobin, Zella Vanié, Kyle Bibby, and Daniele A. for their continued commitment to BVP's mission. You can check out the full program via the link: https://lnkd.in/eecyzqf4

Last week, we hosted our inaugural Equity Reception, which focused on the importance of maintaining DEI in government and military institutions. Big thanks to Jimmy Anderson for being our emcee, and Daniel Walker (board member), Julia Metcalf, PhD (she/her), Claradith E. L., and Sonia Kumar for joining our CEO, Richard Brookshire, on stage. Another big thank you to Kimberly Douglas, Kristen Temple, and the team at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company for hosting us; it was a beautiful event space. Immense gratitude to everyone who donated, attended, or both. This work takes a village and we’re proud to have all of you as part of ours. Watch the replay below and please consider donating if you’re inspired by our work ? Special thank you’s go to our COO, MaCherie Dunbar for all your work behind the scenes helping make this event a success; and to cofounders Daniele A., Zella Vanié and Kyle Bibby, and Board Members Ravi Perry and Mary L. Tobin, for your continued support and dedication to our mission. https://lnkd.in/e_TE-EhV

Kyle Bibby, Richard Brookshire, and Daniel Walker joined Mike Wishnie and the incredible students at Yale Law School's Veterans Legal Services Clinic to discuss the reparations work of the Black Veterans Project, and the way litigation is being leveraged as a primary tool for advancing reparative justice. Many thanks to the American Constitution Society and Yale Black Law Students Association for their hospitality.

Excited to be at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health FXB Center’s Making the Public Health Case for Reparations Consortium meeting today. Getting to learn so much about the intersection of public health and reparative justice. Cc: George Aumoithe, PhD

LinkedIn Family - we're elated to invite you to our first annual Equity Reception in Washington D.C. on Friday, October 25th at 5:30 at the Wolly Mammoth Theater! Current threats to diversity and inclusion initiatives across the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs make it imperative to convene a critical dialogue about the state of racial and social equity facing Black veterans and military personnel. More importantly, the reception will also provide an opportunity to get acquainted with and support BVP's reparative justice work. We're thrilled to have a stellar program featuring BVP's Richard Brookshire and Daniel Walker alongside Julia Metcalf, PhD (she/her), Sonia Kumar, Claradith E. L. and Jimmy Anderson. Seating is limited and registration is required: https://lnkd.in/ehNnuCAy cc: Kyle Bibby, Ravi Perry, Alexandra Williams, Mary L. Tobin, Zella Vanié, MaCherie Dunbar

During #EmotionalWellnessMonth, we're reminded of the resilience?Black veterans show not just in combat, but in the fight for justice—like Conley Monk Jr., a Marine Corps veteran who has fought for four decades against racial discrimination in the VA’s benefits system. Despite his service, Mr. Monk was unjustly denied critical VA benefits for years, facing repeated rejections for housing, education, and disability assistance. These denials took a deep emotional toll, highlighting the systemic inequities Black veterans and veterans of color?endure even after their service to our country. Black Veterans Project is proud to have worked alongside Yale Law School's Veterans Legal Services Clinic to support??the?landmark?Monk v. U.S.?case to expose and challenge racial discrimination by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This fight is not just about benefits—it's about justice, mental wellness, and the dignity of every veteran. Learn more about Conley Monk Jr.'s story and how we're fighting for equity for Black veterans below: https://lnkd.in/exrR3N3C