WS Chronicle

Photo by Tevin Stinson Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II answers questions about the 72nd Annual NAACP State Convention during a recent press conference in Winston-Salem, host city of the annual convention.

By Tevin Stinson

The Chronicle

It has been a very busy year for the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber and the North Carolina NAACP branch. From voting rallies to educational seminars, the state branch has been working hard this year to improve the quality of life of all minorities in the state of North Carolina.

Today (Oct. 8), local NAACP branches from across the state will gather in Winston-Salem for the 72nd annual NAACP State Convention for reflection and planning.

During a recent press conference held outside the Forsyth County Courthouse, Barber announced the theme of this year’s convention will be “Pursing Liberty in the face of Justice.”

“This years convention is not just about fellowship but about justice as well,” said Barber. “We are going to use this year’s convention to layout our plan of attack for those who are trying to tear this country apart.”

Mayor Allen Joines said he was delighted to be the host city of the annual convention.

“We welcome Dr. Barber and NAACP members from across the state to our wonderful city,” said Joines, “We are just delighted to be chosen as the host city.”

The three-day convention will feature a number of educational seminars and guest speakers, including the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, who is expected to deliver a powerful address on the opening day of the convention.

Moss is known throughout the nation for his community service and reaching out to inner-city black youth. Moss’ address will be part of the Religious Emphasis Day held at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

“We are very excited about our Religious Emphasis Day,” said Barber. “We are expecting some very powerful messages from some very powerful people.”

Religious Emphasis Day will also feature a number of open panel discussions on religion and a soul food dinner later in the day.

Michelle Laws, executive director of the state NAACP said, this years schedule is the most exciting she has seen.

“This may be one of the most exciting conventions we have had,” said Laws. “It has been a big year for the state branch and we believe this years convention will reflect the amazing year we have had so far.”

Other noteworthy speakers who will be attending the convention include; Joy Reid, political correspondent for MSNBC, Ari Berman, writer for The Nation magazine, and U.S. Rep. Alma Adams (12th District of N.C.).

The convention will feature the ninth annual Romallus O. Murphy program, which offers continuing education credits in law. The topics for the program, which will be on Friday, include looking at voting rights, Confederate flag, Black Lives Matter and the death penalty.

According to Laws, Barber’s State of the State address is always a must see event. The speech is similar to the State of the Union address given by the president of the United States.

“If you plan to attend the State of the State address, you should plan to get there early,” smiled Laws. “It is always one of our more crowded events.”

According to a schedule of the convention, attorney Lani Guinier of Harvard Law School will speak at the Freedom Fund Awards. Guinier is probably best known as President Bill Clinton’s nominee for assistant attorney general for Civil Rights in April 1993. Clinton withdrew the nomination after controversy about her writings surfaced.

Issac Howard, president of the Winston-Salem NAACP Branch, said, “The local branch is proud to be the host of this years convention. The members have been busy preparing for our brothers and sisters from across the state.”

For a complete schedule of events and more information on the 72nd Annual NAACP State Convention visit www.naacpnc.org