NAACP Begins Search for New President
The nation's oldest civil rights organization will be ushering in new leadership in January and has officially launched their search for a new president. NAACP board members are forming a search committee and will meet in October to begin planning the transition.
Benjamin Jealous announced that he would be stepping down in 2014 after five years of leadership. Current leaders of the NAACP say Jealous' successor must be energetic, experience with the digital age and ready to take on the "long-term" race in fighting for civil and human rights.
"First, you have to realize it's not a job — it's a lifestyle, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," said board member Kamilia Landrum of Detroit, according to the Associated Press. "You have to be almost Baptist preacher, corporate America, or father and husband at the same time."
Associated Press reports:
After suffering turbulent leadership changes and scandals in the past, the NAACP board is determined to have a smooth transition this time.
Chairman Roslyn Brock said the group plans to continue fighting for voting rights, health care, a higher minimum wage and immigration reform, among other issues.
"The NAACP is alive, and it's well," Brock said. "The work goes on, and there's so much for us to do."
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