Before the Birmingham city council meeting this morning, Council President William Parker introduced Dr. Ben Carson during a presentation outside City Hall. Dr. Carson, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was there to announce a $2.9 million federal grant to fund a feasibility study to determine possible locations in Birmingham for a Global Forum for Peace and Justice center. The Birmingham City Council made a public statement on Facebook.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the grant today, stating, “The United States was founded on the fundamental truth that all people are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Ross continued, “The Global Forum for Freedom and Justice will provide an international 21st-century gathering place focused on leadership, education, innovation, and understanding built at the birthplace of the civil rights movement.”
The U.S. Economic Development Administration’s mission is to “lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy.” The EDA is an agency within the Department of Commerce that “makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.”
The EDA stated on Twitter, “Today alongside @secretarycarson, @scottturner45, Exec. Dir., @Whitehouse Opportunity & Revitalization Council, announced a $2.9 million EDA grant to support the establishment of the Global Forum for Freedom and Justice in Birmingham.”
Today alongside @SecretaryCarson, @ScottTurner45, Exec. Dir., @WhiteHouse Opportunity & Revitalization Council, announced a $2.9 million EDA grant to support the establishment of the Global Forum for Freedom and Justice in Birmingham, #Alabama: https://t.co/49Np5sjqWd pic.twitter.com/LBZS4AzWJ8
— EDA (@US_EDA) December 15, 2020
Wilbur Ross also commented on Twitter, “The United States was founded on the fundamental truth that all people are created equal and endowed by their creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
The United States was founded on the fundamental truth that all people are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. https://t.co/jau3vfS26h
— Sec. Wilbur Ross (@SecretaryRoss) December 15, 2020
