S.T.A.N.D. Foundation

The organization advocates for pro-life policies and opposes same-sex marriage. It also promotes programs to improve education and economic opportunities for inner-city youth. ²

Background

Staying True to America’s National Destiny Foundation, or STAND Foundation is a conservative-leaning organization that says it seeks to promote unity across racial and cultural lines based on Judeo Christian values. ³

E.W. Jackson, a Black conservative pastor in Virginia, started the organization. ¹

The organization says it is leading a movement to “unite Americans of all ancestries and national origins,” and “reject hyphenating our citizens.” It states that, “we are Americans first, last and always.” ⁴

The organization contends its focus for uniting the country are faith, family, and freedom. It defines faith as a belief in God; family in part as traditional marriage between a man and a woman; and freedom as protecting the First Amendment right to free speech and Second Amendment to bear arms. The organization argues that what many call “cancel culture” is actually “totalitarian culture” from both government and the private sector. ⁵

Jackson’s STAND Foundation teamed with the conservative group For America to hold an event in August 2015 outside the National Portrait Gallery to protest the bust of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, a supporter of eugenics. ⁶

In December 2015, Jackson called the Black Lives Matter movement “demonic.” ⁷

Programs

The foundation runs town hall meetings and sponsors conference calls. It also provides services for at-risk children and youth. The organization also supports health care, medical and dental clinics for the construction of safe water and sanitation systems nationally and internationally. ³

The STAND Foundation established a “Vote the Rock” initiative, a play on words from “Rock the Vote,” a group that targets the youth vote. In “Vote the Rock,” the rock is Jesus. The initiative says this means voting for a candidate that supports “Godly leadership” and not casting a vote “dictated by race, party or any consideration other than pleasing God.” The issues included are opposing abortion; opposing same-sex marriage; defending the Bill of Rights; oppose the implementation of Sharia Law in law, politics, or culture; and support for Israel. ⁸

The STAND Foundation also sponsors Project AWAKENING to promote better education and more economic opportunity in the inner city. Part of the project is “CREATE,” which is an acronym for Cultural Renewal for Economic Awakening for Technical Education. The initiative focuses on escaping poverty and gaining economic mobility for young people in the inner city. ²

As a basis of unity, the STAND Foundation recognized September as “Celebrate American History Month.” The organization promotes American exceptionalism and the country’s Judeo-Christian history and values. September was chosen since the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. ⁹

Leadership

E.W. Jackson, head pastor at Virginia-based Exodus Faith Ministries, is the founder and president of the Staying True to America’s National Destiny Foundation. He is also a member of the board of directors. ^{10 1} Jackson also ran unsuccessfully as a Republican for the U.S. Senate in Virginia and was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Virginia lieutenant governor in 2013. ¹¹

Mark Brown is the treasurer of the board of directors of the STAND Foundation. ¹⁰

Iverson Jackson is the national vice president of Ministers Taking a STAND, an affiliated organization. He is on the board of the Southern University Foundation and is on the executive committee of the Republican Party of Arkansas Executive Committee and the RPA Platform Committee. ¹²