Read the PDF of our statement here.
NAACP Legal Defense Fund Statement on the President’s Latest Reaction to White Supremacist Violence in Charlottesville
Earlier today, President Trump offered additional comment on the white supremacist violence that erupted in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend. Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), issued the following statement:
“The time for explicit condemnation of white supremacy was not just two days ago after the tragedy in Charlottesville, but in the President’s first days in office. Now we demand more than words; we demand action. This Administration must stop its unrelenting assault on the civil rights of African Americans, Latinos, Muslims, and LGBTQ individuals, which so many fought tirelessly to secure. The President and his Attorney General must forcefully combat hate crimes, and make it a top priority. This is not just about the violence in Charlottesville, but also the recent attacks against a Mosque in Minnesota, and the murders of Ricky Best and Taliesin Namkai-Meche in Portland, Richard Collins III in Maryland, Timothy Caughman, in New York, and so many others that this administration has ignored.
“Many of our nation’s presidents didn’t arrive in office as champions of civil rights. But regardless of who they were before they took their oath, they rose to meet the perilous moments of their day. They stood up, took action, and became the leaders we remember. Now it’s time for President Trump to do the same. He must not only speak to the American ideal, but implement policies to make it a reality.”
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.