NBCI Supports Dr. Delman Coates in his Opposition to DNC and Third Way Progressive Policies for African Americans

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino faith communities representing 27.7 million members, announced its support for Rev. Dr. Delman Coates and Dr. Willie Francois III in their opposition to the DNC and Third Way policies. NBCI expressed concern that the DNC and Third Way’s policy positions could undermine social and economic gains for Black communities at a time when the organization is also concerned about the Trump administration’s reductions to key social programs. Third Way recently announced it will spend $15 million through 2028 to discredit democratic socialism, as as reported by The Guardian, citing The New York Times. NBCI views that effort as an attempt to undermine the party’s progressive populist movement.

The Rev. Anthony Evans, president of the National Black Church Initiative, said, “Rev. Dr. Delman Coates and Dr. Willie Francois III are two of our national leaders on public policy issues. NBCI supports both of them 100%. They clearly understand that the DNC is trying to undermine the black community. All three of us are students of the Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, and we will hold the DNC's feet to the fire. Their continuous opposition to our policies may dramatically affect African American voter turnout ahead of the November 2026 elections."

NBCI views the Substance Over Symbolism Rally’s agenda as a return to the economic justice priorities of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement and is calling on the DNC to embrace it. The organization links these proposals to the call for basic economic rights that helped drive Rev. Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988.

NBCI supports the following proposals identified in the rally’s agenda:
• A Federal Job Guarantee
• Universal Health Care / Medicare for All
• Universal Pre-K
• Fully Funded K–12 Schools
• Tuition-Free Public College
• Universal Affordable Housing
• Voting Rights Protections through the For the People Act

“For too long the Black community has settled for symbolism rather than demanding substance,” said Dr. Coates, senior pastor of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland. “The Black Church must show up to dispel the narrative that this is not what the Black community wants and what America needs.”

Dr. Francois, senior pastor of Fountain Baptist Church in Summit, New Jersey, linked the agenda to the history of economic justice advocacy in Black communities, including the Freedom Budget.

“It is time we dare to demand substance over symbolism,” Francois said.

About NBCI
The National Black Church Initiative is a coalition of 150,000 African American and Latino faith communities comprising 27.7 million members. NBCI works to eradicate racial disparities in healthcare, technology, education, housing, the environment, and economic opportunity. Its programs combine faith, credible research, and practical strategies to address complex economic and social challenges.

Anthony Evans
National Black Church Initiative
+1 202-744-0184
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