Money Monday, Not Moral Monday

By Francis De Luca, Civitas Institute, July 8, 2013.

Liberal protesters at the General Assembly have been claiming they are acting in the name of morality, but a new Civitas study shows the role played by money – more than $100 million in state funds.

William Barber, NC NAACP President, has acknowledged that “Moral Mondays” are not a “spontaneous action.” He said that the seeds of the recent protests were first sowed  when he and others formed a coalition of liberal groups called Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ). In 2013, HKonJ became the coordinating umbrella organization for the groups protesting at Moral Mondays. But as I have noted, it might be more appropriate to call “Moral Mondays” – “Money Mondays.” Here’s why.

A Civitas study shows that HKonJ affiliated groups have received more than $100 million in direct state grants in recent years. These include $33 million for the Community Development Initiative, $20 million for the Minority Support Center, and $17.5 million for the North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development.