The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, more commonly known as the NAACP, has broken a 116-year tradition in an unprecedented move against President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies. The nation’s oldest civil rights organization announced on Monday it has decided not to invite Trump to its annual convention for the first time since its founding.
“For 116 years, the NAACP has invited the sitting president of the United States to address the NAACP National Convention — regardless of their political party,” the group said in a statement ahead of its convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 12-16.
The organization, which was integral in advocating for and securing political and legal victories for Black Americans during the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras, explained, “There is a rich history of both Republicans and Democrats attending our convention — from Harry Truman to Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and beyond. We’re nonpartisan and always welcome those who believe in democracy and the Constitution.”
Citing the president’s anti-DEI stance and proposed cuts to vital programs that many Black Americans rely on—from Medicare to education—the NAACP condemned Trump for “attacking our democracy and our civil rights.”
“He believes more in the fascist playbook than in the U.S. Constitution. This playbook is radical and un-American. The president has signed unconstitutional executive orders to oppress voters and undo federal civil rights protections,” the group explained. “He has illegally turned the military on our communities, and he continually undermines every pillar of our democracy to make himself more powerful and to personally benefit from the U.S. government.”
Since taking office, Trump has made the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion a major feature of his administration’s policies. Many federal workers deemed “DEI hires” were terminated, as were programs geared toward closing racial gaps in health disparities and environmental injustice.
The president notably ordered his Department of Justice to pause or close pending civil rights investigations under the Biden administration and has instead focused its attention on alleged discrimination against essentially white individuals. The administration also moved to end pending federal investigations of police departments suspected of engaging in patterns of racial discrimination and police misconduct.
Some of the Trump administration’s actions have resulted in lawsuits filed by the NAACP and other advocacy and civil rights organizations, including one suit challenging the Department of Education’s aim to remove so-called DEI from public schools.
The NAACP Convention’s purpose is to bring together Black Americans, elected officials, policy experts, and advocates from across the country to “map out our advocacy and mobilization strategies to advance civil rights and democracy for all,” the organization noted.
“Our annual convention is meant to be a safe space for all people — regardless of political ideology — who believe in multiracial democracy and the ideal of building a more perfect union,” the group said. “To that end, the NAACP has made the decision to break with tradition and not invite Donald Trump or J.D. Vance this year. This administration does not respect the Constitution or the rule of law. It would be a waste of our time and energy to give a platform to fascism, which would be unacceptable.”
