The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, in collaboration with other social justice organizations, is organizing an Advocacy Day at the Alabama State House on Tuesday, February 18, at 10 a.m. The event aims to address concerns with Alabama legislators regarding the impact of various legislative bills on the community, propose necessary changes, and oppose specific bills.
In her State of the State address on February 4, Governor Kay Ivey emphasized, “The safety of our people is paramount,” and urged, “Don’t ever count us out.” These statements resonated with the Alabama NAACP.
Benard Simelton, President of the Alabama NAACP, responded, “We want Alabamians to know that we will continue to fight for ALL of you and we want the Alabama legislature and Governor Kay Ivey to never count us out.” He highlighted the organization’s commitment to opposing legislation such as Alabama Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which aims to criminalize assistance with absentee voting. The ACLU of Alabama has noted that SB1 would make it a felony for individuals other than the absentee voter to distribute, order, request, collect, complete, obtain, or deliver absentee ballot applications or ballots.
Rev. Lawrence Wofford, Alabama NAACP Political Action Chair, emphasized the importance of unity, stating, “Alabama must stand up, and stand against, any law or ban, coming down from the White House and the new administration, which surmises division amongst people.”
The mission of the Alabama NAACP is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminate discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and economic security of Black people and all persons of color.
For more information about the Advocacy Day and the organization’s initiatives, visit the Alabama NAACP’s official website.
