NOTE: To download a PDF version of this report, please click here.
The Ezekiel Project
Since 2010, the Ezekiel Project has been the recipient of six grants from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) totaling $255,000, including the most recent grant of $45,000 from the CCHD’s 2020-2021 grants cycle.
The Ezekiel Project is guilty of directly promoting abortion, promoting a fundraiser for a mobile contraceptive supply van, promoting one of the most pro-abortion organizations in the country, and its leadership is actively involved in the promotion of abortion as well.
On November 24, 2020, Ezekiel Project shared a fundraiser post from the Black Women’s Blueprint’s “Sistas Van,” a mobile contraception-supply van. In the post, the Black Women’s Blueprint expressly states:
“We are proud as a survivor led-organization to have implemented programs that promote gender justice, racial healing, reproductive health, and reconciliation.
…
Activated in April of this year, our volunteers have been able to safely distribute menstrual products, contraception, and nearly 2,000 bags of groceries to women and girls in 45 locations across all five boroughs!”
Five days later, the Ezekiel Project directly posted a link to the Black Women’s Blueprint’s fundraiser for their Sistas Van program.
On the Black Women’s Blueprint fundraising page for the Sistas Van program, it specifically identifies which contraceptives they distribute: emergency contraception, condoms, pregnancy tests, Plan B.
In short, the Ezekiel Project knowingly engaged in the promotion of a fundraiser for a program that was distributing contraception, including abortifacients.
On March 31, 2022, the Ezekiel Project promoted one of the most active pro-abortion organizations in the country, The National Organization for Women (NOW).
Among the images the Ezekiel Project shared in celebration of NOW was one regarding abortion, showing that the Ezekiel Project was not ignorant of NOW’s pro-abortion position.
On July 1, 2022, The Ezekiel Project posted an invitation for people to participate in a pro-abortion event, saying:
“Join us TODAY, JULY 1ST, for the Black Women’s Roundtable ‘Hands Off Our Bodies, Hands Off Our Votes'”
The mantra “hands off our bodies” is a direct reference to abortion, and the Ezekiel Project acknowledged this by describing “out” topic for the event:
“Our topic: “The Power of Black Women’s Leadership & Vote in the 2022 Mid-Term Election and Fight for Our Voting Rights, Reproductive Rights, Freedoms & Justice!!””
Noted in the printed flyer for the event are speakers representing Planned Parenthood and SisterSong (another radically pro-abortion organization). And before the CCHD gives another cock and bull story about how this post was put up by some low-level staffer or volunteer (like they did with One Community United), it is important to note that this post was “loved” by Willie Haynes, the president of the Ezekiel Project.
The entire Black Women’s Roundtable event can be viewed here. It’s an hour and 45 minutes long, and as indicated above, it includes representatives from radically pro-abortion organizations Planned Parenthood and SisterSong. But the entire thing is focused almost exclusively on women needing to secure the “right” to abortion through their votes.
On June 13, 2022, Ezekiel Project posted a “save the date” on Instagram for a pro-abortion rally titled, “Womxn vs. Wade.” The post written by the Ezekiel project was very carefully worded to avoid using explicit language, but the meaning is clear. By referring to “Womxn vs. Wade,” while saying, “Mamas of color must be at the table when life-changing policy decisions are being made,” and “You cannot care about life and also not advocate for …” it is clear they are referring to abortion.
This pro-abortion meaning is further clarified by the “Womxn Vs. Wade” march’s toolkit, which included graphic flyers for the event. One of the graphic flyers in the toolkit showed that Nicole Wells Stallworth, the executive director for Planned Parenthood advocates for Michigan, was one of the speakers at the event.
In addition to the Ezekiel Project conducting a fundraiser on behalf of a contraception-distributing program, promoting the pro-abortion National Organization for Women, inviting people to attend the pro-abortion rally “Hands off Our Bodies, and promoting the pro-abortion Womxn Vs. Wade” march, the executive director of the Ezekiel Project and at least one board member are radically pro-abortion.
Jessica Hernandez is the Executive Director and Lead Organizer for the Ezekiel Project.
On June 24, the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, Hernandez posted that she was “angry” at what the Supreme Court had done. And when challenged with the comment that “it is not a constitutional right for abortions,” Hernandez responded by posting a meme from ACOG saying, “Today’s decision is a direct blow to bodily autonomy, reproductive health, patient safety, and health equity in the United States.”
The next day, she posted a picture of a woman in her underwear with a t-shirt on that says, “This uterus has a body with a brain, that can make its own decisions.” Hernandez said that purchasing the shirt gave her joy as it expresses “one of my sentiments on my chest.”
In this post from the Ezekiel Project, Nyesh LaToy is identified as a board member and the post links to her facebook page.
In May of 2019, LaToy proposed a “sex strike” for states in which abortion is prohibited.
On November 5, 2022, LaToy claimed that Michigan’s Proposal 3 was not about killing babies, but was about the “medical health of women.”
However, Michigan’s Prop 3 explicitly states that it would “amend the state constitution to establish new individual right to reproductive freedom, including right to make all decisions about pregnancy and abortion,” while prohibiting prosecution of anyone involved in the procurement or completion of an abortion.
Before offering a conclusion on the Ezekiel Project, it is worth noting that Bishop Robert Gruss and a number of Catholic Parishes are identified by the Ezekiel Project as “Member Catholic Parishes and Religious Leaders.”
Conclusion
The Ezekiel Project has clearly been shown to engage in various activities in direct conflict with Catholic moral teaching. It promoted a fundraiser identified as a contraception-distribution program. It promoted one of the most notoriously pro-abortion organizations in the United States: The National Organization for Women. It Promoted several pro-abortion events. And it’s leadership have declared their allegiance with the Culture of Death. There can be no mistaking the pro-abortion tenor and efforts of the organization, placing it in clear violation of CCHD grant guidelines.
I have addressed this to my parish (here in Diocese of Saginaw MI) administrator via email and I await her reply this up coming week. IF no reply, I will take it directly to Bishop Gruss and the Diocese’s pro-life coordinator. I am active in RTL MI Sanilac County and I have made our President (who is Catholic) aware of this and she is also appalled and approves of my actions. Thank you for your outstanding diligence on this. I have been spreading the word. God Bless and Keep all of you safe.