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Al Sharpton, Benjamin Todd Jealous, Clayola Brown, Jesse Jackson, Kansas City, missouri, NAACP, national convention
NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous was the third of three speakers at yesterday afternoon’s press conference at the NAACP National Convention in Kansas City.
(left to right) Benjamin Todd Jealous, Reverend Al Sharpton, Clayola Brown, Reverend Jesse Jackson.
….Benjamin Todd Jealous, NAACP President and CEO: Thank you, good afternoon. [voices: “Good afternoon.”] There’s no one in this country who works harder on behalf of working people than the three people standing right behind me. It’s an honor to be on the stage with all of them.
Eight twenty-eight will be a springboard to ten-two-ten. It’ll be a wake up call to, to the country. We will be asking faith leaders across the country the month of September to preach and teach at their houses of worship about the values of human rights and human dignity, true meaning of Dr. King’s words and the words of all the others who spoke that day in nineteen sixty-three and all of those of us who believe in human rights and human dignity.
Ten-two-ten is being put together by over a hundred and fifty organizations, including many of the largest civil rights organizations, religious denominations and labor organizations in this country. It is intended to show that we are at a place in this country where the majority of people just want to focus on what’s important – be able to put food on the kitchen table, be able to be treated fairly, insure that this economy works for all of us – [inaudible] working class people of all colors, struggling families of all colors. And this march on ten-two-ten really will be a reminder, will be a reflection of the country. You will see Teamsters there, you will NAACPers there, National Action Network and Rainbow and PUSH and National Council of La Raza and LULAC and Jews and Christians and Baptists, Episcopalians and Muslims and Buddhists – all together.
We are one nation and we all need a testament of hope. And that testament of hope for so many families is simply a job and a fair shake. So I want to thank Reverend Sharpton, I want to thank Reverend Jackson, I want to thank Miss Brown, President Brown of the Randolph Institute {AFL-CIO], for their support of ten-two-ten and for coming together with us to say put America back to work, pull America back together. Thank you very much….
Benjamin Todd Jealous was also on Keith Olbermann last night, in reference to the NAACP national convention resolution on racist elements in the tea party:
….Benjamin Todd Jealous: You know, we got death threats at our office in, uh, Los Angeles today. And, you know, if there aren’t violent racists in the tea party then why are people calling threatening to kill us for speaking out about violent racists in the tea party?
Keith Olbermann: I don’t mean to laugh, but it does sort of prove your point, uh, rather self evidently….
Evidently.
Previously:
The 101st NAACP National Convention in Kansas City
NAACP in Kansas City: Benjamin Todd Jealous at the opening press conference
NAACP in Kansas City: EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at the opening press conference
NAACP in Kansas City: report on the impact of the BP oil spill in the Gulf region
NAACP in Kansas City: Sunday – photos
NAACP in Kansas City: Michelle Obama – photos
NAACP in Kansas City: Representative Sheila Jackson Lee on the tea party and human rights
NAACP in Kansas City: Senator Claire McCaskill (D) – “Now is no time to quit.”
NAACP in Kansas City: Representative Emanuel Cleaver – “Don’t you forget it!”
NAACP in Kansas City: Wednesday afternoon press conference – photos
NAACP in Kansas City: Rev. Al Sharpton – “There clearly is some racial leaves in their tea bag…”
NAACP in Kansas City: Rev. Jesse Jackson – “We want jobs, justice, and education for all.”