NC NAACP to Hold News Conference With Church Denominational Leaders to Announce 69th Annual State Convention in Raleigh and a Mass Voter Mobilization Strategy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

1 October 2012

For More Information: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President, 919-394-8137

Mrs. Amina J. Turner, Executive Director, 919-682-4700

For Media Assistance: Rob Stephens, Field Secretary, 336-577-9335

NC NAACP and Denominational Leaders Gather to Announce the 

69^th Annual NC NAACP State Convention Under the Theme: 

"If We Ever Needed to Vote, We Sure Do Need to Vote Now"

            RALEIGH - Exactly 10 days before the regular voter registration deadline, the president and other officers of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP will join African-American church denominational leaders, representing thousands of churches in North Carolina, to speak with one voice calling for mass voter mobilization and announcing the 69^th Annual NC NAACP State Convention in Raleigh this year.

            The news conference will take place on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 12:00 PM outside the NC State Capitol on the Morgan Street to the south of the Capitol.

The NC NAACP State Convention, which will take place Oct. 11-13 in Raleigh, will be entirely focused on voter education, voter protection and voter mobilization for Get-Out-The-Vote. The General State Baptist Convention, the Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention and the AME Zion Church will be in attendance at the news conference. 

"When we look at the scale and scope of this election, the fact that we will be electing the President, the Governor, every member of the NC General Assembly, US Representatives in addition to county commissioners, town council members, school board members and judges across the state, the civil rights and faith communities cannot take one vote for granted," said Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, president of the NC NAACP. "In light of the weighty matters before us and how our elected officials will address poverty, jobs and labor rights, educational equality, healthcare for all, continuing disparities in the criminal justice system and the deep concerns now around voting rights and defending democracy, the North Carolina NAACP's message will be 'If We Ever Needed To Vote, We Sure Do Need To Vote Now!'"

At the news conference the NC NAACP will lay out a strategy on how it will use the Convention to push through early voting and election day with a strong, coordinated and grassroots campaign girded by its 125 local branches, 140+ HKonJ Coalition partners and the African-American Church. During the news conference, the NC NAACP will also announce partnership with legal voter protection groups as well.

            "While strictly nonpartisan, the NAACP and these historic African-American denominations believe that the issues of poverty, educational equality, voting rights, healthcare and labor rights ought to be at the center of the political agenda," Rev. Barber continued. "We should use candidates' stances on these issues to discern whom to support electorally."

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