NAACP promises to ‘continue this fight’ ahead of 2024
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson is promising to continue amplifying Black voices ahead of the 2024 presidential race as midterm election results pour in.
“Every ballot cast is a victory for our democracy,” Johnson said in a statement. “Despite voter suppression and malicious attempts to silence us, our collective efforts continue to uplift the voices of millions of voters who are calling for change.”
Voter suppression was a major concern from advocates this year. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, lawmakers have passed at least 42 restrictive voting laws in 21 states since 2021. Thirty-three of those laws contained at least one restrictive provision that was in effect for this year’s midterms in 20 states. Voter suppression disproportionately affects voters of color.
“Black people have always been at the forefront of the movement to push our country toward true equality and fairness, and this election was no exception,” said Johnson. “Today has proven that when we utilize our collective power, we can make a real difference,” Johnson said. “The stakes today were high, but Black voters once again rose to the occasion and refused to be silenced.”
Concerns over voter intimidation were also on the rise in the weeks leading up to Tuesday. A recent Reuters-Ipsos poll found 2 in 5 voters were worried about intimidation this year.
Earlier on Tuesday, the NAACP announced the launch of its voter incident report form to track and respond to voter suppression tactics.
But in the months leading up to Election Day, the NAACP also spent about $2 million on radio ads across battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania, Florida and North Carolina.
Though some of these races, including Georgia’s gubernatorial race, did not end the way Johnson had hoped, he said the NAACP’s work “must go on.”
“The NAACP will continue to speak up wherever racism and bigotry exist and will never cease to amplify Black voices in pursuit of a more just and equal country, just as we have done for the last 113 years,” he said. “We are prepared to continue this fight as we prepare for 2024.”
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