NAACP President Calls for National Legislation Following Police Shooting at Church Day Care
A few weeks ago, police shot and killed Mark Anthony Barmore, a 23-year-old African American man in Rockford, Illinois. Eyewitnesses say that outside the church day care center, Mr. Barmore encountered two police officers who apparently were looking for him on an allegation of domestic violence. He ran inside the church, and the officers followed him, guns drawn, without a warrant. After Mr. Barmore entered a small boiler room, the police demanded he come out. He slowly exited the room with his hands up. Then, witnesses say, police shot him -- in front of children in the day care center. While he lay face down, police shot him three more times in the back. NAACP President Jealous is leading a delegation of NAACP leaders and staff to launch the NAACP’s investigation into the police killing and is calling for a Department of Justice investigation. The protest rally in Rockford with Reverend Jesse Jackson, President Jealous and State and local NAACP leaders on September 12th will be followed by a major mobilization on October 3rd. The NAACP has also been working with Congress, and specifically House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (MI) to enact legislation to mandate official standards for the use of force for every law enforcement agency from federal marshals to rank and file cops on the beat. Currently, there are as many use-of-force policies as there are law enforcement agencies, and there are as many interpretations of those policies as there are law enforcement officers. This lack of uniformity is one of the core reasons behind the tragedy in Rockford and in too many other police shootings across the Nation. You can help.
NAACP to Senate: Confirm Tom Perez as United States Assistant Attorney General Now
The NAACP announced today, unwavering support for Tom Perez for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. In a letter to the United States Senate, the NAACP urged the Senate to confirm Perez expeditiously. “The NAACP strongly urges the United States Senate to confirm Tom Perez for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. His breadth and depth of experience on the local, state and federal level make him the best candidate to work with Attorney General Eric Holder to rebuild the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice,” stated Hilary O. Shelton, Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Director of the NAACP’s DC Bureau.
NAACP Urges Congress to Act Quickly to Reform Current Broken Health Care System
Too many Americans today are straining under the burden of two related trends: shrinking health care coverage and rising health care costs. Over the last decade, millions of Americans have found themselves uninsured, and millions more have become underinsured as the value of their coverage has declined.
[5 Myths and Realities about Health Care Reform]
NAACP President Ben Jealous on Van Jones
Van Jones made a tough decision to step aside so that the nation's reform agenda will not be sidetracked by those who spin lies for profit. Now that he has chosen to leave the White House, we fully expect Mr. Jones to continue to help lead our nation out of its dual crises of environmental degradation and mass unemployment.
A Victory in Troy Davis Case
Thanks to you and tens of thousands of other NAACP members and supporters, the U.S. Supreme Court Monday announced that Troy Davis will finally get his day in court and a chance to prove his innocence. The court ordered a federal judge in Georgia to review, what we and many others believe is, the overwhelming evidence of Troy's innocence. Troy was sentenced to death for the 1991 killing of a police officer in Savannah, Georgia. As you know, the NAACP and other organizations have been fighting to save the life of Troy Davis. There was no physical evidence tying him to the crime and seven out of nine witnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony. And finally, the Supreme Court gave Troy a chance to present this evidence and prove his innocence! That's a victory for Troy and his family - and for all of us.
[Read More about the campaign]
Commemorative Artwork & Centennial Book
Three world renowned artists created commemorative artwork for our Centennial
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NAACP: Celebrating a Century, 100 Years in Pictures
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