Arguments over confederate statues. This is about one hour. [gavel pound] jeff yes, i do it with authority. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the National Press club where we have trademarked a moniker of being the worlds leading professional organization for journalists. Also where i have been saying this year, in challenging times, the freedom of the press, that we are the constitution. I am jeff ballou, the editor for Al Jazeera English and the 110th president of the National Press club. We are pleased to have as our headline luncheon speaker Derrick Johnson, the interim president and chief executive officer for the National Association for the advancement of colored people. The naacp. Own as first of all, i would like you to at least silence your cell phone and other electronic devices, though we do encourage you to follow us on social media. [laughter] in jeff just because we were born in 1908 does not mean that we are still there. You can follow us pressclubdc, using npclive. And headliners, and you can follow me at npcpresident. As you are setting your phones to vibrate, getting your twitter questions ready, i also want all of you to have these lovely white cards in front of you. Dais and at your tables, now is the time to start scribbling those wonderful questions, if you have not already submitted any, so we can keep the conversation going and healthy. You can keep passing them up to the front. You dont have to wait for mr. Johnson to finish his remarks. There are members who will rais their hands and help bring them forward at any time and get them to donna, who will sort through them and get them to me. There is another way you can get questions in, those of you not in the house. You can use social media, tweet me a question. I have a smart phone here and i can follow our twitter feed. I will follow from here while mr. Johnson is up here. After we get into the q a, i will try to multitask. An interesting thing we le to do. Now, without further ado, we will get to the head table, and then some more thank yous, and then on to todays proceeding. I am going to start on my right. Washington correspondent for the atlanta journalconstitution. Stand up and wave. [laughter] jeff dominique. City hall reporter for wypr in baltimore, maryland. Him lottie joyner, interim editor in chief of the crisis magazine, the oldest of africanamerican publications in the United States. And the official publication of the naacp. Him him corey gordon, deputy chief of staff and legislative director and congressman Bennie Thompson of mississippi. The senior culture writer for espns multimedia publication the undefeated. We have several members of that organization in the press club, so we are pleased to have you. Him hilary shelton, director of the naacp washington d. C. Bureau, and a frequent flyer with the National Press club. We have seen you here many times. Skipping over myself, the managing editor of usa toda one of my predecessors as president of the National PressClub Team Member who organized todays luncheon. Thank you, donna. We will get to you in a second, mr. Johnson. Shawna thomas, the Washington Bureau chief of vice news that all of you have been streaming and watching every night on hbo. The Vice President of communications for the naacp. The membership secretary of the National Press club. Desk editor for the associated press. Keith, washington correspondent for the detroit news, who has something in common with our speaker. And the reporter for the st. Louis post dispatch. [applause] i would also like to acknowledge some members of the Headliners Team who helped with todays luncheon. Betsy fischermartin and lisa matthews, headliner cochairs. The teams lawyers. And the National Press club staff, specifically Lindsay Underwood and laura coker, who manages the offices of Club President , staff, executive director william mccarran. For our television, public radio, and social media followers, be aware in audience today are members of the general public. Any applause or reaction you hear is not necessarily those from the working pss. We have to have a quorum amongst ourselves to be the fair arbiter when things are happening at the club. In the naacp is the nations oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. The executive committee of the board of directors unanimously named mr. Derrick johnson interim president and ceo during the associations 108th annual convention in baltimore last month. Him he is expected to serve through the end of year when the board hopes to announce the new leader. He says his focus will be ensuring local activists are getting enough support, because that is where Public Policy impacts people most directly. Mr. Johnson formerly served as vice chairman of the naacp board of directors, an activist who dedicated his career to improving the lives and defendi himng the rights and ights ofg the mississippians. We will be talking about the gulf coast in the q a. As president of the naacp Mississippi State conference, he has led critical campaign for Voting Rights and equitable education, successfully managed two bond referendum campaigns in jackson, mississippi that brought in millions of dollars for a School Building improvement, and 6. 5 million toward the construction of a new convention center. With the recent events in charlottesville and the ensuing debates about whether to remove confederate memorials, the naacp is issuing caution when traveling to missouri. There are a lot of issues for Derrick Johnson to discuss. Please give a warm National Press club welcome to interim ceo and president Derrick Johnson. [applause] derrick thank you, jeff. I met jeff a few weeks ago. I was walking through the d. C. Airport a few weeks ago, and he looked important, so i started following him. [laughter] derrick i followed him all the way to the press club this morning. I really would like to thank all the members of the National Press club for allowing the naacp this opportunity. We are in trying times. It is a unique place we are in for this democracy. For the naacp, 109 yearyear organization, we have seen this before. In fact, the creation of the naacp was based on a similar set of circumstances. Where individuals such as w. E. B. Dubois and William Monroe trotter, a reporter, decided to pull people together to discuss what they called the negro question. That call to meet in niagara was heard by individuals in the state of mississippi, where i reside, and they also sent another reporter by the name of ida b. Wells to represent mississippi. So we are familiar with whats taking place. In that discussion, they wanted to address the problems with lynching that have been taking place across the country. They established the niagara movement. The very next year, there was a lynching in springfield, illinois. A group of whites realized, if we were going to have a true democracy, there had to be one that was met with law and order. So that group, mary wright overton and others, invited members of the niagara movement, to join them in new york to meet, to talk about a campaign to direct federal policy which would empower the federal government to go into areas to investigate, prosecute, and convict those involved in lynching. That was the creation of the naacp. The decision made at the time was that the association would be an advocacy organization. An organization which would advocate for Public Policy to improve the quality of lives for all. That was a successful campaign. As a result of that, we began to build as an association. We have built our presence across the landscape where we have over 2200 units from alaska to hawaii, to connecticut to florida, and all parts in between. We recognize, in order for us to make democracy work, we must advocate for Public Policy to protect the needs and interests not only of African Americans, but all disenfranchised citizens. You know, i have an older member in mississippi who put it best. The health of any society should be measured by three key measures. How well do we care for our elderly . Are we preparing our young people for the future . Are we protecting the rights of the disadvantaged . That is the measurement we should all look for. Looking at this current administration, we have a long way to go. [laughter] derrick that is why we must continue to have the naacp. Advocacy for social justice to ensure equal protection under the law is paramount in this time. Just like those individuals who gathered in niagara, and later in new york, and decided that whether you are black or white, male or female, we should all have a voice around the formation of Public Policy. The unique thing about the creation of the naacp in 1909, black men had a right that white women did not have, the right to vote. It was also recognized in 1909 that many African Americans at this time picked up arms, to reinforce union troops, to ensure that these United States remained as the United States and not two separate entities. That the Confederate States of america, as Jefferson Davis was selected as president , was a movement of individuals who committed treason against this nation. It was a Movement Based on a policy landscape that they wanted to uphold, and agriculturalbased economy, supported by exploiting people for free labor. We call that slavery. They also understood that the fight that was taking place postcivil war would continue. And that to ensure that individuals of african descent would not be exploited for cheap labor, there needed to be policy protections for those individuals. We were in the middle of a campaign, and it was around the right of workers to collectively bargain. I was asked a question by a reporter, why would the naacp care about organized labor . If you began to peel the onion, you recognized the fight for Voting Rights, the fight for quality education, is all based on the policy landscape of who is exploited for free and cheap labor. It is about money. Many people talk about, if you education, you get cheap labor. That if you suppress the right to vote, you limit the access of those who are impacted by Public Policy from having a true voice in the formation of that same policy, therefore, they have no say and they can be exploited. Make no mistake where we are in this democracy. Those who have the right to vote have say, those who dont, dont. I often say in a democracy, your vote is your currency. If you are bankrupt, you go to the store, you cannot purchase anything. But if you are exercising your currency, if you collect that currency with others with your interest, you can purchase the grocery store. That is who we are as the naacp. All of our policy concerns and issues germinate from that raw fact. Individuals seeking to exploit us for free labor. We are seeing after the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, we had to exercise our right to vote. Any way which we could build quality Education Systems equal to all, and ensure that we would not be exploited for cheap labor. When we look at todays reality, we have been here before. It is nothing new. But what is most important, the founders and the individuals who built the naacp understand that all politics are local. As a result, we began a Movement Across the country. Today we have 2200 units, because the landscape of Public Policy often start in local communities. So we are in hilary sheltons city, we call it washington, d. C. As we walk up and down the halls of congress, he, like i know, many of the policy considerations started in some local community in this nation. Oftentimes, i ask the question, have you ever heard of columbiana, alabama . Columbiana, alabama is where the case we now call shelby versus holder started from. That was the case that gutted the Voting Rights act. That was the case that took out section five of the Voting Rights act. It is in local communities like columbiana, alabama, where the naacp exists. It is a community that nobody would think of. It is in bolger, louisiana, a redistricting case came up to become a Supreme Court case. It is in all of the areas where many of us or our parents come from. As a result, the naacp is as relevant today as it has always been. Because it is in these communities where our members serve as the eyes and ears, to ring the bell when nobody can hear the noise, to call out the questions of unfairness. Oftentimes we give the example of miss dunlap. Ms. Dunlap lives in a Small Community in mississippi. I am sure you have heard of shibuya, mississippi. [laughter] derrick it is in clark county. Ms. Dunlap may not have had a lot of exposure to education, but ms. Dunlap, as president of the clark county branch, is driven by one principle. I dont think it is right, i dont think it is fair. The value question of fairness. When she goes and sits in on a School Board Meeting and she no longer has children in school, she has great grandchildren in school now. When she is sitting there listening to the school board talk about school policy, even if she does not understand all of the conversations, is the question of fairness. How can we turn our back on the ms. Dunlaps of the world . It is the ms. Dunlaps in the world who can identify when School Districts in Rural America are seeking to diverge public funds for a use that would not benefit all children. If they perfect that policy, hilary shelton, as he walks down the halls of congress, he will see that policy bubble up as a National Policy scheme. That is why we must have the naacp. Voting is paramount. Voting is paramount. With all the schemes to suppress and divert our ability to cast a ballot, not only African Americans, but young people as well. The closing of precincts, the redrawing of political boundary lines that will Favor One Party over another, the ability to have an admittance test, voter id, for whether you can vote. The very nature of Voter Registration is a vote suppression method. Let that germinate. Why would someone need to fill out an application texercise a right . Think about it. In this day and age, as more states require voter id, and we are citizens, why should we fill out an application to determine whether or not we should vote . A true democracy encourages and allows all of its citizens to vote. You know, is it so much to ask that we follow the example of australia and 200 other nations when it comes to compsory voting . Is it outrageous to say that restricted polling places should no longer be in place . What are you talking about . Why should an individual get off work at 5 00 and drive home and possibly past three or four presents in order to cast a ballot three orssibly pass castprecincts in order to a ballot . Why should we allow the most sacr part of a democracy, only to take place in a 12hour window . On a tuesday, when most people go to work. At the naacp, those are the estions we must confront with some critical thinking. Not that we are running behind the headlines of the day, because there will always be headlines of the day. But fundamental to what we pursue is making democracy work. To ensure equal protection under the law is affded to all citizens and that the uses of devices to discriminate should no longer exist. Just last week, our state conference in texas won two important cases, one dealing with redistricting, the other dealing with voter id. Three months ago, our state conference in North Carolina also won a major redistricting case. We commend the policymakers in illinois for making Voter Registration automatic. Because in a democracy, if our currency is our vote, we should celebrate everyone having at least that one dollar call to vote, so they can exercise. It is the role of the naacp to protect democracy and to ensure equal protection of the law is afforded to everyone. When we look at the headlines and we are compared against the movement for black lives and say, are you relevant because these young people are in the streets and protesting . I say yes, we celebrate and support them. Why . Because we have always had young people in the streets protesting. No matter what vehicle or platform they use, we must encourage young people to have a voice. Because it is those young people who will be the future leaders. And it is through agitation that we find ourselves perfecting this thing called democracy. As we move forward, it is our goal to truly focus on how do we impact of formation of Public Policy, looking at this current landscape. The key milestones are coming up. The Midterm Election of 2018 is critically important. You know, i grew up in a time where every election, they say this is the most important election of your life. Im sure you have never heard that before, right . For the first time, i can agree, this truly is one of the most important elections coming up. There are cuts in the budget dealing with the census from this administration. The removal of a pilot from one of the rural communities. We are facing a census where many towns will be undercounted during a time when technology should allow us to have a more accurate count. The president ial election, and then this thing called redistricting. Perhaps the most significant touchpoint in any democracy structure like ours. See, the drawing of the political boundary lines by which individuals are elected. In many ways, it is more important than the actual election day. Because if you understand how to draw the lines, you can determine the winner for the next 10 years. Those are the key things that we as an association will be focusing on over the next five years. Now, in between times, there will be many charlottesvilles. Unfortunately, this administration has created an atmosphere to allow domestic terrorism to exist. To allow those who understand and have a sense of history, that the monuments that have been erected in the 1930s and 1940s and 1950s, for the most part, are monuments to individuals who took up arms against this nation. Treason. Over the question of exploiting people for free labor we should not celebrate that. It should not exist. But we should not get distracted over the question of its existence, when the real issue confronting us is who controls the Public Policy, and whether or not we have a voice in the process. I teach a class every so often at Tupelo College in jackson, mississippi. We talk about Public Policy. I had a student one time ask, what is the real deal here for Public Policy . I said, well, at the end of the day, it is about who gets taxed, who is not taxed, and what those dollars are spent on. That is our fight. Do we create a tax scheme to support Public Policy to ensure our elderly are cared for in their latter years . Will we maintain a tax scheme and make sure it is equitable, so we have quality education for all of our children . Are our taxes being used to create the systems that will support individuals who suffer from some type of Mental Illness or veterans coming home, individuals who are disadvantaged, to make sure they are cared for and are protected . That is the sign of health of any society, the elderly, the young, and disadvantaged. The value of any Public Policy is based on the taxes. How the tax policies are written. We must protect all of our citizens. Domestic terrorism should not exist. We wish we had a commanderinchief that would not sow the seeds of divisive behavior which would allow domestic terrorists to bubble up. At naacp we will respond to that, but the bigger question for us will always be the question of ensuring that democracy works for all. Thank you. [applause] jeff let me stand right here. Irrick i dont take orders, stand right here. [laughter] jeff you get this mic and i get a handheld. While i get this going, i want to start with current news, now Tropical Storm harvey. You have noted several times, even though you were born in detroit, you reside in mississippi, you have done a lot of work on the gulf coast. What is the naacp doing in terms of responding to the crisis in the gulf coast, Tropical Storm harvey . Derrick thank you. You know, having been someone who has been active during hurricane katrina, it is critically important for the association to ensure that the recovery is equitable. And so, starting as early as friday, our state conference president , our houston executive director, and our staff in houston, we started convening Conference Calls to talk about what the evacuation plan looks like, what were the support mechanisms. Each evening, we talked about that, so we could respond timely to communities who may not show up on the radar screen. Just this morning i had a meeting with fema. Our goal is to ensure resources directed from the federal government do not skip neighborhoods. If we dont skip neighborhoods, we would ensure a fair recovery. That is our responsibility, to make sure equity is at the table when the discussion of recovery is being discussed. A quick followup. Policy flagging it up to for. S and fema and so so forth. You cited katrina. When people say, ok its time for you to evacuate. Not everyone can pick up and leave. More than 90 of folks left before the storm, and there were still some stuck. Some of them could not move because there was a financial issue, affordability. Have you been working closely with policy officials to make sure the funding is there to get people from point a to point b . Derrick our president in texas gary bledsoe is on the phone call to her three times a day along with hilary shelton, representative Sheila Jackson lee, al green on that question, to make sure resources are directed to those areas and that those resources are directed to communities most in need. People cannot evacuate because of resources. You know, going through katrina, the small church on a peninsula called east biloxi. Reverend haynes, who since died, they had gone through so many hurricanes, he would open the church up, and it had a second floor. The Senior Citizens in that community knew to go to main Street Missionary Baptist Church. Up, he used toat correct me all the time. Lets be clear. [laughter] derrick they would go to the church, and the water began to come in, and they would go upstairs and pray the storm away as they would say. In that community, main Street Missionary Baptist Church was their refuge. We had individuals who worked every day and retired. Because they were lowwage earners, they did not have the means to evacuate. Some were so stubborn, they would not evacuate anyway, but they had a place to go. Main Street Missionary Baptist Church is also the hub for our Biloxi Branch of the naacp. And so we exist where the need exists and where our people exist. Our role is to ensure individuals who go to a church or seek us out, that we do all we can to get the resources to support their quality of life. Jeff there are a bunch of questions that have been sent in. Derrick only the easy ones, i dont want the hard ones. [laughter] jeff i will just ask you the fair ones, which are all of them. [laughter] jeff you talked about a number of issues, one being about the confederate memorials. A number of questions that hit on that issue. Do you think they should be taken down altogether, moved to a museum . You have specific ones in atlanta, whether or not they will erect an mlk memorial on top of stone mountain. You are talking about any number of configurations about this. What is the approach the naacp supports . Is it a locality by locality, across the board, what is your view on that . Derrick part one, symbols that recognize treason should not represent a governmental entity, period. If there are those that want to recognize and celebrate that, that is ok to relocate in a museum or cemetery. I prefer cemetery. [laughter] derrick part two, even if it exists, we believe people have the right to have monuments, but it should not be financed by public dollars on public display. It should not. [applause] derrick thirdly, and this is closer to me. There should be no state that still has a confederate symbol in the flag, like mississippi. You know, the symbol that we identify as the Confederate Flag was not even the Confederate Flag, it was the battle flag of general lees army of northern virginia. When he died, he stated the remnants of the confederacy should be buried. He did not want any of those symbols when he died. The Confederate Flag as we now identify it as was resurrected in the 1930s during the second reign of terror, when whites particularly in the south, but across the country, after watching birth of a nation in 1914, began to use it as a symbol of terrorism. We quickly identified the burning cross in someones yard as a sign of terrorism. But next to the cross was always that confederate symbol. It should not be tolerated. It should not exist. If there are any entities that have the display of 50 flags, remove the mississippi flag if you want to move forward as a nation. Jeff that gets to the question. I can put that one down. [laughter] jeff we have had your predecessors here for many years, you hear this question a lot. How do you respond to the criticism that the naacp has outlived its usefulness . Derrick just watch the news. [laughter] derrick you know, that comes up. Jeff whether or not the naacp has outlived its usefulness. It comes up for all of its predecessors, i have been here long enough to see it. [laughter] derrick that is a question that bubbles up. When i took the position at the naacp, my counterpart said the same thing. If you move across this landscape, and in many commities, the naacp is the only vehicle that individuals have to raise their voice and ensure democracy exists in their community. We are too quick to follow trends, bells, whistles. Naacp has never been a large city operation. It is in communities where no one knows of. It is the vehicle for individuals who live in those communities whare so oppressed or trying to prevent schemes of oppression. It is a representative organization, small d democracy, where individuals can come together and make that unit work. For someone to question whether or not a collection of individuals living in a community should not come and utilize the vehicle of the naacp, i often ask, do you understand what we are and what we do, or are you relevant, is the question you are asking me relevant . Jeff speaking of relevant questions, you talked about Public Policy, and the white house. You brought that up a number of times. The Congressional Black Caucus has gone back and forth about how and unr what circumstances it will meet with president. What is the naacps take on how it will engage with the trump administration, or not, and if so why, if not, why not . Derrick with any president , our position with meeting is based on substance, not ceremony. As i understand, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, as they deliberate the question of meeting, their question is are we meeting with the president based on substance and not ceremony . No president should utilize an institution like the naacp as a photo op. If we are talking about substantive outcomes, then we welcome the meeting. If we are talking about a photo op, that is a meeting we will nohave. [applause] jeff so, what is an example of a substantive outcome . Derrick you want 1, 5, or 10 . [laughter] jeff make it two. Derrick a substantive outcome would be the forming of the commission. Not seeking to remove the consent orders in municipalities where Police Officers have been bad actors. A substantive outcome is not reversing the previous administrations rules that they would not give military equipment to local Law Enforcement. I could keep going. Jeff in fact, you just talked about yesterdays decision, you released a statement on it. What is the naacp prepared to do now that the executive order has been issued to give military style equipment back to police departments, which happened in the wake of ferguson . Derrick in many ways, we are like the press. We can sound alarms, we can make a noise, and we can educate the community, but we have three branches of government. We have threbranches of government. So our next step to really change the dynamic is in 2018. To ensure that we increase turnout, so that people who come from communities situated like the ones we represent can have a true voice on the makeup of congress. The Second Branch of government. So they can be better positioned to hold the president accountable. Executive orders are just that, executive orders. Unfortunately, elections have consequences. We have to deal with some of these executive orders until 2020. Jeff as you said, elections have consequences. You have talked about voting. You talk about compulsory voting, which is not happening in this country any time soon. Derrick maybe not jeff how do you see encouraging people to get voting levels up to you in more unprecedented levels that there were in 2008, other election cycles, where they may make a difference toward 2018, 2020, other election cycles . Derrick that is the challenge we face as an association, why we are going through this interim period. How can we as a National Office be more responsive and supportive of our local units in their ability to increase the level of participation . We entered the space understanding that if we continued to do what we have always done, we will get what we have always got. And so my challenge, my staffs challenge i did not recognize our chief operating officer here, director of Ecomic Development our challenge is how do we work to ensure that we as National Staff are more responsive to our lol units, so they can be stronger in getting the vote out when we need to. In many communities, African Americans vote at a higher percentage during president ial elections. The problem we are facing, we are not voting in state and local elections, when we need the vote to turn out. The challenge for the naacp over the next several years, is to elevate the conversation, so people understand it is not just the president ial election cycle. It is every election cycle. Jeff Voting Rights. What is your reaction to the Supreme CourtJustice Alitos stay on the latest Voting Rights decision in texas . Derrick repeat the question. Jeff what is your reaction to the stay that Supreme CourtJustice Alito put on the Voting Rights act in texas . Let me explain that to folks. Derrick i will let hilary explain because he is brilliant. He is brilliant. Jeff come on up. Hilary . Hilary i am limping a little bit. I made the mistake of playing basketball with my 13yearold. Jeff did you win . Hilary clearly not. [laughter] hilary our concern over the shelby decision is clear. Anytime you have something that dismantles the protections put in place for the Voting Rights act, whi are needed, and one of the most important sections is 4b. We are really talking about a ropeadope approach to weakening voter protections. It is no surprise the same organization that works so hard to put the Voting Rights act of 1965 in place in the first place is strongly opposed to anything that would weaken it. Even at the time of the shelby decision, the naacp have been working on a number of provisions, even with the Voting Rights act very clearly in place, to strengthen the opportunity for every american cast an unfettered vote and make sure that vote is counted. I also want to add to that, the questions were asked about what we want to see happen. In any conversation with the president , we believe in apologizing to the environmentalists in the room we have a copy of everything that we would love the president to move forward on, to make sure our country lives up to his constitutional promises of equal protection and opportunity under the law. I have those for you when the meeting is over, by the way. Thank you. Anything else you want to add . Derrick isnt he smooth . [laughter] no more basketball. Lets see here. Oh, this is interesting. We just had a big title fight this weekend with Conor Mcgregor and floyd mayweather. Floyd mayweather has a reputed reputation for Domestic Abuse charges. What role, if any, does the naacp have in combating Domestic Abuse, given that African American women disproportionate abuse . F violence and if no such initiative exists, why not . Derrick we are a policyfocused organization. We care about all of the citizens in our community. If we play any role in that, it is to ensure that women, along with children, along with any aggrieved party, has equal protection under the law, that the law is sufficient to provide protection. What we have seen over the yea is an imbalance, in terms of how the law is applied to protect women who have been abused. Some of that falls into our scope, some of it does not fall into our scope. We recognize we cannot be everything to everybody, but we support those who advocate to ensure that women, along with children, along with anyone else whare being abused, that the law is applied equally, and that it is a good law to provide necessary protecons. Jeff i think hilary wants to come back. Hilary i apologize for that, let me come back to the microphone. Stay where you are, no moving after this. Hilar derrick is absolutely right but also let me say for the record. The naacp was one of the organizations that introduce the violence against womens act. Now formed with president joe biden. We work with every improvement along those lines, making it a Permanent Agency within the department of justice. We have also made sure, the real value of a nation is not just what it says, but what it is willing to put its resources toward. We have always worked hard to make sure the violence against Women Department is in the department of justice and is fully funded. Extremely important to us and our communities. Thank you hilary, go sit down. [laughter] we will stick with sports. The naacp has joined the fraternity of Colin Kaepernick in writing the nfl commissioner, demanding his reinstatement, wanting some spun nation for why he has not been signed. Had gotten a response from commissioner goodell . Derrick we have not. Steps int are the next getting an answer derrick the reason we decided to enter the conversation was based on the principle of those who have a platform, entertainers and athletes have always been a key vehicle for us to raise issues. The issues that con kaepernick was raising were legitimate issues. We would hate to see the nfl or any industry suppress the voice of individuals who are willing to use that platform to advocate for social justice. We are mourning the death of dick gregory, on the vanguard of his platform to advance social justice. I oftentimes worked with danny glover, who uses his platform to advance social justice. For the naacp or any group to stand idly by we dont know the facts, so that is why we asked for a meeting but the appearance seems to be that the nfl is seeking to suppress his voice. Then we have an obligation to support those willing to speak up on issues of social justice. Our next step, we have asked for a meeting with the commissioner. If we are not granted a meeting, we will be workingith the nfl players association, to make sure that we work with and through them. Because if they can do it to one player, they can do it to all players. [applause] jeff just to remind those in thviewing audience and public radio, those joining late, if you do hear applause in the room, it is not from the working press, they are members of the public invited to our luncheon. Derrick the press does not like what im saying . [laughter] derrick no, i get it. [laughter] jeff we like you enough to invite you. Charlottesville. We will combine this into one question. You have issued a travel advisory to missouri. We had what happened in charlottesville. Will you issue a similar travel advisory to charlottesville, like you have done to missouri . And i will add to that. Why do you think white nationalists feel so emboldened to come out of the shadows with tiki torches and everything else. Is there an upside that it is now in our faces . As opposed to under the rug . Derrick we can say emphatically, the governor and officials of virginia, they responded timely and appropriately to the event. They showed the level of concern and empathy that any policymakers should have, when you have domestic terrorists enter into your territory. Many of the individuals who were in charlottesville were not from virginia. They traveled from far and wide, from david duke all the way to the person who drove from ohio to murder that individual in the crowd. We see these individuals as domestic terrorists. We should not mince our words. They go to incite harm in contact. For us to say that they are a part of neonazi only, or they are kkk only, or whats a supremacistre white appreciatenot fully what they are seeking to do or who they are. I am not so young that i dont remember timothy mcveigh. Timothy mcveigh is cut from the same cloth as these individuals here. Prior to 9 11, that was the biggest incident of terrorism on our soil committed by a citizen of this country. We need to address domestic terrorists for who they are and not try to excuse away what they do. Unfortunately, this administration has created a climate where he tries to have false equals, where none exist. Where he gives room for individuals situated as domestic terrorists to feel comfortable walking in public without their hoods anymore. The candle ceremony is a nazi ceremony. The tiki torch was to represent the candle ceremony. This is not just an attack on African Americans but americans. We must stand up and be clear with our voice. We support strength in the hate crime act. Data matters, policy should be driven by data, not politics. When we were able to get the hate crime act passed in 2009, a real important component was left out, the requirement of local jurisdictions providing data. If we are able to get a datadriven look at hate crimes, we c identify almost everybody in the crowd because local Law Enforcement knows who they are. We need to identify them for who they are, domestic terrorists. Jeff on the domestic terrorist question, this goes to public education, and whether or not the naacp is working with school systems, states and school systems, to this is the questioner, not my words glorify domestic terrorists and those that commit treason, glorify the curriculum. Derrick one of the things we will be seeking to do in the near future is calling a meeting with textbook publishers to talk about the content in textbooks. What has happened for far too long, we seek to water down what took place around the civil war. It was an act of treason. Make no bones about it. To whitewash what took place is only to suppress the tensions that is always bubbling below the surface in this country. The question of the 21st century is a race question, that is what w. E. B. Dubois talked about. The souls of black folks, he wrote that in the 1920s. We are still dealing with the question of race. 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