President Obama to Address the NAACP in Philadelphia

Philadelphia continues its trend of drawing in some of the world’s luminaries this year. It was recently announced that President Obama will address the NAACP in Philadelphia during the Association’s annual convention. This will take place on July 14th.

President Obama will speak on the subjects of race and civil rights.

NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock called it an “honor” to be having the president speak in front of the convention. She stated that the members of the Association “are looking forward to President Obama delivering a powerful message that reinforces our commitment to being champions for civil and human rights in the 21st century.” This isn’t Obama’s first time facing the NAACP. He also gave an address in 2009.

The president’s record of contributing to the national discussion on race and civil rights is unprecedented. In June he gave the eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckney, one of the victims of the racially-motivated massacre in Charleston. In March he spoke in Selma, Alabama on the same topics, on the site historically known for its importance to the civil rights movement. Referring back to the Charleston eulogy, NAACP President William Brooks lauded Obama’s “eloquence” and stated that the president “will now address the social and economic challenges of our time in the hometown of American freedom – Philadelphia.”

Philadelphia’s branch of the NAACP was founded in 1912. Local president Rodney Muhammed stated that he believes the convention will bring the Association’s undivided attention to the topics of “poverty, racial profiling, police brutality, health disparities and income inequality.”

The theme of this year’s NAACP convention is “Pursuing Liberty in the Face of Injustice.”