NAACP Weekly News Update

USA Today:NAACP head: White supremacy has endured beyond Jan. 6, diminishing voting rights
In 2021, state legislators introduced more than 440 voter suppression bills across the country. Thirty-four such laws were enacted in 19 states. The new year promises more of the same. I cannot imagine any greater threat to democracy than this calculated, methodical and steady unraveling of our Constitution. We are entering an era in which electoral maps without federal voting rights protections will become the norm. Fewer polls and longer lines will define our democracy, instead of being outrageous outliers. Days after the insurrection, President Joe Biden pledged to defeat white supremacy in his inaugural speech. That won’t happen unless he and Congress protect the rights of voters.

ABC News:Progressives warn inaction on student debt could hurt Democrats in midterms
“If you can afford to pause student loan payments over and over again, you can afford to cancel it,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson tweeted after President Joe Biden announced his administration would extend the federal pause on student loan repayment for the third time in December.

The Hill:Biden finds uneven footing with Black voters
“President Biden brings as much experience on how the Senate functions, what moves Senate members, than any other president perhaps than President [Lyndon] Johnson. He is skilled in the art of the Senate procedure and process,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson in a recent interview. “It’s not for me to instruct what he should do, it’s for me to push for him to do something.”

The Hill:NAACP head to push senators, White House for action on voting rights
NAACP President Derrick Johnson says he plans to step up pressure on senators and the White House to take action on voting rights legislation, which would likely warrant changes to the legislative filibuster due to opposition from Republicans.

The Grio:Rep. Bennie Thompson reflects on historical irony as a Black man investigating Jan. 6 insurrection
Thompson, a lifelong member of the NAACP, is credited with helping register Black people to vote during that very dangerous and racially charged moment in history. “[Bennie Thompson] witnessed and experienced levels of domestic terrorism in Mississippi. What we witnessed on January 6 is familiar for Thompson,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson told theGrio. “January 6 was when you allow white supremacist behavior to go unchecked in the White House. This is what we get,” he added, referring to the actions of former president Trump.

Newsweek:Donald Trump Retreats From Stoking Jan. 6 Fire As Capitol Riot Lawsuits Pile Up
The first lawsuit Trump faced in connection to the January 6 attack was filed last February by Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson and the NAACP.

Los Angeles Times:Essential Politics: Voting rights bill on the brink
When I asked NAACP President Derrick Johnson whether Harris was truly in charge, he sounded more than skeptical. “I don’t think that is the case. The White House has not made it a priority,” he said. “Whoever the lead is, we have not had the type of leadership around this question to ensure passage of a bill to protect our rights.”

Masslive:‘Democracy can and will prevail’: A year after Jan. 6 Capitol attack, Sen. Ed Markey says US in daily struggle to protect democracy
Derrick Johnson, the NAACP president, recently told The Los Angeles Times that “The White House has not made [voting rights] a priority. Whoever the lead is, we have not had the type of leadership around this question to ensure passage of a bill to protect our rights.”

NAACP: Hey Black America 
NAACP reflects on the insurrection last year and the importance of passing voting rights legislation to defend democracy.

EconoTimes:Progressive Democrats warn inaction on student debt could have repercussions in 2022 midterms
Speaking with ABC News, Student Debt Crisis Center president Natalia Adams said that the Democratic Party and lawmakers need to approach the issue with caution as this is what the public has demanded. NAACP President Derrick Johnson also tweeted that if the administration could be able to continue extending the pause on student debt payments, cancellation could be done.

New York Post:Golden Globes 2022 won’t have audience, celebs or press
During this weekend’s program, the release adds, the NAACP Hollywood Bureau senior vice president Kyle Bowser will discuss a five-year diversity initiative called the “Reimagine Coalition.” The project is a collaborative effort between the HFPA and the NAACP to fund and support “projects from artists of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.”

Black Star News:Federal Court Upholds Illinois Redistricting Plan Gerrymandering Black Voters in East St. Louis
“The outcome of this court’s decision is frustrating, to say the least. We are at a critical time when we are facing a lack of voting protections on every front,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP. “Electoral maps are being drawn to the political expediency of candidates instead of the lived reality of Black and Brown electorates. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure we defend the rights and protections of our communities.”

Capitol News Illinois:Redrawn state legislative districts withstand legal challenge
Separately, the East St. Louis Branch of the NAACP, along with other civil rights groups, challenged the way lawmakers had redrawn three House districts in the Metro East region, saying the new maps broke up the area’s Black voting population in order to protect two white Democratic incumbents, all to the disadvantage of the region’s only Black House member, Rep. LaToya Greenwood.

Richmond Register:NAACP to host the March for the Homeless on MLK Day of Service
The NAACP Richmond-Madison County Branch will be commemorating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 17, through community-based service and educational programming. According to a press release, in the spirit of making it a day on and not a day off, the NAACP in partnership with Madison Home Inc., Room in the Inn-Berea, and the Richmond Human Rights Commission will be “Marching for the Homeless” at 3 p.m. on MLK Day. Staging and donation collections will begin at 2 p.m. at the First Christian Church parking lot on Main Street.

WishTV:NAACP pushes to address cultural insensitivity in schools after blackface incident
The Indianapolis NAACP wants to sit down with Center Grove Community School Corporation leaders to address concerns over cultural insensitivity. This move comes a little over a month after a photo of a student in blackface began circulating online. The NAACP shared with News 8 the letter sent to the district superintendent. Included in the letter were other plans to file a report with the U.S. Department of Education and Civil Rights. NAACP representatives said there are current laws in place requiring schools to address cultural competency, but said those requirements aren’t always met.