Naacp of North Carolina

John Hope Franklin Discusses Obama's Election

Watch This On YouTube.com

Related:

John Hope Franklin Interview with NC NAACP, 2007: Discusses the Significance of the 1898 Wilmington Riots, Reparations for Discrimination, Memories of James Weldon Johnson; His Life and Work.

Promos for 'Millions Voting March': Pass It On!

These videos, produced by Cash Michaels of CashWorks HD Productions, are about early voting across North Carolina. The latest video reports on the first days of early voting and encourages those who haven't voted to vote now. Click to forward this video to friends and colleagues.

Stop the Witchhunt in Elizabeth City

NAACP Branches President Rev. Dr. William J. Barber today requested the State Board of Elections “carefully monitor” the runaway Pasquotank Board of Elections, and if the State Board determines that a pattern of voter harassment and intimidation exists between Republican activists and the Board to suppress the African American vote, that two members of the Pasquotank Board of Elections be removed.

'Souls to the Polls'

Please join the NC NAACP, General Baptist State Convention of NC, Democracy NC, NC Prince Hall Masonic Lodges and hundreds of churches and civic groups in a “Souls to the Polls” Project – for voter registration, voter education, get-out-the-vote, and voter protection. YOUR CHURCH OR GROUP CAN TAKE ACTION IN MANY WAYS: Voter Registration, Voter Mobilization, Voter Education, and Voter Protection. Click to Learn More.

Related:

• What Churches Can Do: Voter Registration and Get Out the Vote (GOTV)

Obama, McCain Address National NAACP Convention

Both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, addressed the NAACP national convention. For video clips, click on the link below.

Voter Suppression Complaint Filed Against Women's Voices; U.S. Department of Justice Alerted

The North Carolina NAACP has filed a formal complaint of possible voter suppression against Women's Voices Women Vote, a D.C. nonprofit that was behind deceptive robo-calls to state residents in advance of the May 6 primary.

"When you mess with the right to vote, you're messing with everything that is fundamental in our democracy," said NC NAACP President William Barber II.

(Photo: NC NAACP Legal Redress Chair Al McSurely, Rev. Barber, and Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina)

Media Coverage:

• NAACP Lodges Call Complaint: Group Wants Investigation of Automated Phone Campaign (News and Observer)
• Was Clinton Campaign Targeting Black Voters With Deceptive Calls (Art Levine, Huffington Post)
• Institute for Southern Studies blog (includes copies of the complaint)

Know Your Voting Rights...And Let Your Voice Be Heard!

You have the right to register and vote at an Early Voting site in your county, but only during the Early Voting period
·    If you are 17 but will be 18 on November 4, you can vote in the May Primary
·    If you are an ex-felon and have finished all parts of your sentence (including probation), you can register to vote like any other citizen.
·    If you register as Unaffiliated (Independent), you can vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary.  Tell the poll worker which party's ballot you want.
·    You have the right to bring someone to assist you when you vote or to ask for help from an elections official.
·    If your name is not on the rolls or you have a problem at the polls, ask for a provisional ballot and ask how to learn if your ballot counted.

If NC GOP Airs Race-Baiting Ad, NC NAACP Will Consider Direct Action; Rev. Barber's Letter to NC Republican Chairman

Rev. William Barber, President of the NC NAACP, called for the removal of a race-baiting political ad by the NC Republican Party. If the NC GOP ignores the pleas of Senator John McCain and the national Republican Party and runs the ad, the NC NAACP will consider direct action.

The State NAACP leadership is consulting with National NAACP leadership about the nature of a direct action campaign. Rev. William Barber said:  “We must put a stop to this kind of media-driven election distortion that is an obvious attempt to divide the state and the nation. Through the use of sound-bites taken out of context, the snippet messages play on false fears.  These subliminal racial innuendoes are today’s equivalent of the divisive tactics of 1898 that led to the destruction of the Black-White fusion government in Wilmington.  We will not permit this to happen again. We shall move forward in 2008.”

See the full statement and links to media coverage on Rev. Barber's blog. Below you will find Rev. Barber's letter to NC Republican Chairman Linda Daves.

Announcing Voter Empowerment, Protection, Registration, Education, and Participation Plan

Related News Coverage: NCCU Students Rally for Voting (News17.com, with video) 

On the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the NC NAACP State Conference announced a statewide Voter Registration, Education, Mobilization and Protection initiative kick-off.  Following the culmination of the successful second annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street, HK on J 2: the People’s General Assembly, this effort springboards one of the most important foundations of the civil rights movement.

If You Were Locked Up, Don't be Locked Out!

Under NC law, a person convicted of a felony temporarily loses all citizenship rights, including the right to vote.  But you get your rights back automatically after you serve all parts of your sentence, including probation or parole.  You don't need a special document saying your rights are restored. Ex-felons in NC can register to vote like other citizens.

You Can Register AND Vote on the Same Day

Go to an Early Voting site in your county between April 17 and May 3: the Early Voting period.  (YOU CANNOT DO THIS ON ELECTION DAY ITSELF!)
·    Fill out the Registration Form.  You must be a citizen & NC resident for 30 days.
·    Show one of these documents with your name and current address:
o    NC driver's license, Social Security card, military ID or other government ID
o    A utility bill (phone, electric, gas, water, cable TV) or bank check
o    A student ID and school document showing your current address
o    A letter, invoice, notice, license, or permit from any government agency
·    Receive your ballot and vote!

New Online Resource to Improve NC Voter Turnout

"Here's a zinger.Two out of five adult citizens in NC are either not registered or not voting – there’s lots of room for improvement!" writes Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina. To address this serious problem of democracy, there's a new web site, www.2008ElectionConnection.com, that answers questions like:

• How do I vote by mail?
• Can a 17 year old vote in the primary?
• What about ex-felons?
• Where is my polling place?
• What is Same Day Registration & Voting?
• Can people who are registered as Unaffiliated vote in the primary?
• Where do I vote if I'm a college student? Or if I've recently moved?

Healthcare, Predatory Lending, Justice, Schools High On NAACP Agenda for 2008 Election

Hundreds of NAACP activists from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee met in Jackson, MS in March to discuss vital policy issues important to the South and to prepare for the 2008 federal elections in each state. Leaders issued a policy report, "One Voice, One Vote," focusing on the areas of education, economic empowerment, health, criminal justice and juvenile justice. The report contains state-by-state data on juvenile justice, predatory lending and health issues. Peruse the full report here.