April 29, 2025

NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson today helped launch media and other efforts to draw a crowd to Charlotte July 12-16 for the civil rights group’s annual convention.

Johnson offered an overview of how federal policies that impact tariffs, recession, inflation, etc. may soon constrict many Americans’ livelihoods. He asserted that the chaos of the administration’s first 100 days has distracted people from the most important project launched since Jan. 20 – a fundamental reshaping of the federal budget including who pays more taxes, who pays less, and how the money is spent. He promised that the convention would explore all these complex issues in plain language that both convention-goers and the general public will be able to understand. Congress expects to put together a budget by September.

Will people be listening? Johnson faced questions about how to get the group’s message to young people who have never even heard of the NAACP. Johnson’s response: Local chapters will step up to do the work. Before video games and smartphones and 24/7 media, when churches held sway in communities across the land, that was indeed the way it worked.

“The NAACP has never given up hope, and will never give up hope,” said Charlottean and longtime NAACP leader Lenny Springs. The convention, he said, “will be a reboot of hope.” The challenge, he said, would come after the convention to turn that sense of hope into reality.

WBTV reported on the Forum meeting, noting that 1,000 volunteers are needed to support convention activities. WBAV’s report on the upcoming convention is here.

The NAACP’s convention information is here.

Registration and ticket prices are here.

The NAACP’s 60-second promotional video on the July 12-16 convention is on YouTube and below. The video from this morning’s meeting is below the 60-second video.

A collection of presentation slides about the convention in Charlotte are in a PDF here. The slides displaying the convention schedule are below under the videos.