The State Department was scheduled to host a Zoom discussion Tuesday on “Racism Being a Threat to National Security and Democracy.”
It was not clear if the session ever took place, but the announcement was obtained by Fox News. One of the featured speakers was former Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello, who currently serves as an executive director for George Soros’ Open Society Foundation (OSF).
The announcement specified the event was for “State Department [e]mployees.”
Other speakers were to include Center for Constitutional Rights attorney Diala Shamas and Western States Center (WSC) Executive Director Eric Ward. The groups generally call for racial equality and justice but also promoted controversial ideas in the wake of racially charged protests last year.
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Last year, Ward’s group initiated a “21 Day pledge” for “inclusive Democracy.” In a May 31 list of related action items, WSC touted the #DefundPolice hashtag and urged others to call on the United Nations to appoint someone who would investigate “present-day lynchings of Black Americans,” an apparent reference to police-involved deaths.
It also promoted a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission on policing in America” and backed the goals of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL). M4BL has called for, among other things, granting “amnesty” to protesters and defunding the police.
Shama’s organization has received donations from Soros’ Open Society Institute and previously called for a $1 billion cut to the New York Police Department’s funding.
Periello’s group, meanwhile, has donated millions to the “Black Lives Matter” movement and associated groups. Last year, for example, it poured $220 million into “building power for Black communities” with a stated focus on continuing Soros’ “vital work of fighting for rights, dignity, and equity for oppressed people.”
The scheduled event at the State Department also came amid broader concerns about domestic terrorism related to White supremacy, especially in the wake of the Jan. 6 riots in D.C.
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Upon entering office, President Biden requested a comprehensive assessment on domestic violent extremism (DVE). The topic of assessing “DVE” comes after Biden, during his inaugural address, addressed “a rise of political extremism, of White supremacy and domestic terrorism,” which he said, “we must confront and we will defeat.”
In October, the Homeland Security Department also published a threat assessment, which identified White supremacists and other “domestic violent extremists” as presenting “the most persistent and lethal threat” to the U.S.
Fox News’ Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.
