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NAACP President and
CEO Derrick Johnson
made the
announcement during
an afternoon press
conference, citing,
“There
is a rich history of
both Republicans and
Democrats attending
our convention —
from Harry Truman to
Dwight D.
Eisenhower, Ronald
Reagan, Bill
Clinton, George W.
Bush, Barack Obama,
and beyond. We’re
nonpartisan and
always welcome those
who believe in
democracy and the
Constitution.” |
| |
NAACP
breaks a
116-Year
tradition,
excludes
Trump
from
National
Convention
HB Meeks
-
Editor-in-Chief
Tell Us
USA News
Network
CHARLOTTE,
N.C. —
In a
historic
and
unprecedented
decision,
the
NAACP
announced
Monday
that it
will not
invite
President
Donald
Trump to
its
national
convention
in
Charlotte
next
month.
This
marks
the
first
time in
the
organization’s
116-year
history
that a
sitting
president
has been
excluded
from the
annual
gathering.
NAACP
President
and CEO
Derrick
Johnson
made the
announcement
during
an
afternoon
press
conference,
citing
President
Trump’s
actions
as being
in
direct
opposition
to the
organization’s
core
mission
of
advancing
civil
rights
and
protecting
democracy.
“This
has
nothing
to do
with
political
party,”
Johnson
stated.
“Our
mission
is to
advance
civil
rights,
and the
current
president
has made
clear
that his
mission
is to
eliminate
civil
rights”.
A
Historic
Break
from
Tradition
For over
a
century,
the
NAACP
has
invited
sitting
U.S.
presidents—regardless
of
political
affiliation—to
address
its
convention.
Past
attendees
have
included
Harry
Truman,
Dwight
D.
Eisenhower,
Ronald
Reagan,
Bill
Clinton,
George
W. Bush,
and
Barack
Obama.
However,
Johnson
emphasized
that the
organization
could
not
extend
the same
invitation
to
Trump,
citing
his
administration’s
policies
and
rhetoric.
In a
sharply
worded
statement,
Johnson
accused
Trump of
“attacking
our
democracy
and our
civil
rights”,
further
alleging
that the
president
“believes
more in
the
fascist
playbook
than in
the U.S.
Constitution”.
He
pointed
to
controversial
executive
orders,
the use
of
military
force
against
protestors,
and
efforts
to roll
back
federal
civil
rights
protections
as
justification
for the
decision.
Legal
and
Political
Context
The
announcement
comes
amid
escalating
legal
battles
between
the
NAACP
and the
Trump
administration.
In
April,
the
organization
sued the
Department
of
Education
to block
efforts
to
withhold
federal
funding
from
schools
that
continue
diversity,
equity,
and
inclusion
programs,
arguing
that
such
moves
illegally
undermine
equal
opportunity
for
Black
students.
Despite
past
tensions
between
civil
rights
advocates
and
previous
administrations,
the
NAACP
has
historically
maintained
its
tradition
of
inviting
sitting
presidents.
Even
Republican
leaders
such as
Ronald
Reagan
and
George
W. Bush
addressed
the
convention
despite
facing
criticism
over
their
policies
affecting
Black
Americans.
Broader
Implications
NAACP
officials
underscored
the
gravity
of their
decision,
noting
that the
annual
convention
has
always
been a
forum
for
bipartisan
engagement
and
dialogue.
> “Our
annual
convention
is meant
to be a
safe
space
for all
people—regardless
of
political
ideology—who
believe
in
multiracial
democracy
and the
ideal of
building
a more
perfect
union,”
Johnson
said.
The 2025
convention,
scheduled
for July
12-16 in
Charlotte,
will
proceed
without
presidential
participation
for the
first
time
since
the
tradition
began
nearly
eight
decades
ago.
By
breaking
with
more
than a
century
of
precedent,
the
NAACP
signals
a new
chapter
in its
advocacy,
prioritizing
its
mission
over
tradition
in the
face of
what it
calls an
existential
threat
to civil
rights
and
American
democracy.
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