Black judge removes Mississippi flag with Confederate emblem from courtroom

Carlos Moore made history this week when he took to the bench as the first African-American municipal judge in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Then he made a ruckus.

On his first day on the job, Moore ordered officials to remove the Mississippi state flag from his courtroom, because that flag contains the Confederate emblem in its upper left corner.

"It was such a great feeling to see the police officer drag the despicable flag from the courtroom during open court. Great first day!" the judge posted on Facebook on Monday.

In Moore's eyes, the Mississippi state flag doesn't stand for justice and instead shows the state supports the Confederacy's legacy of slavery, he told WATN-TV in Memphis.

Another factor in Moore's decision was the fact that a lot of the people who will stand before him in court will be African-Americans.

"Most of the people that appear before me will be African-American, and they need to feel that the courtroom is gonna be a place they can get justice," he said. "That flag does not stand for justice."

It isn't the first time Moore has fought the flag. He filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the state from flying the flag and to rule that its design is unconstitutional. But US District Judge Carlton W. Reeves tossed the suit out last year.

[SOURCE: CNN]

NAACP names vice chair Derrick Johnson interim president & CEO

The NAACP, the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization, names vice chairman of the board of directors Derrick Johnson as interim president and CEO, effective immediately. The unanimous decision was made by the executive committee of the board of directors during the Association’s 108th annual convention in Baltimore, Maryland. The NAACP released the following statement.

“I am thrilled to announce that my friend and colleague Derrick Johnson has been appointed to interim president and CEO. I could not think of a better, more battle-tested or more qualified individual to guide the NAACP through this transition period,” said Leon Russell, Board Chairman of the NAACP. “Derrick’s longtime service with the Association will allow him to take decisive action to deal with daily challenges. He will also serve as the primary spokesman for the NAACP. I have every confidence in Derrick and will support him in this new endeavor every step of the way .”

“It is truly an honor and a privilege to be named the interim president and CEO of an organization that I’ve served for decades,” said Derrick Johnson, interim president and CEO of the NAACP. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done and we won’t waste any time getting to it. We are facing unprecedented threats to our democracy and we will not be sidelined while our rights are being eroded every day. We remain steadfast and immovable, and stand ready on the front lines of the fight for justice.”

Derrick Johnson will serve as interim president and CEO until a new president is named. Derrick Johnson formerly served as vice chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors as well as State President for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP. The first vice chair of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP will assume leadership of the state conference operations. Derrick’s full biography is available here.

Eric Holder defends special counsel Robert Mueller

This week former US Attorney General Eric Holder Thursday defended special counsel Robert Mueller via Twitter after President Trump said Mueller was leading an investigation riddled with conflicts of interest.

Mueller is looking into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

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There is NO basis to question the integrity of Mueller or those serving with him in the special counsel's office. And no conflicts either

— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) July 21, 2017

Trump cannot define or constrain Mueller investigation. If he tries to do so this creates issues of constitutional and criminal dimension.

— Eric Holder (@EricHolder) July 21, 2017

NAACP issues statement on Trump refusing invite to NAACP Convention

The NAACP issued the following statement after President Trump announced that he will not attend the NAACP’s 108th Annual Convention in Baltimore, Maryland.

“It’s extremely unfortunate that during these pressing and urgent times, the President has chosen to turn his back on the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization – though I must admit, his refusal to attend our convention is not totally unexpected,” said Leon Russell, Board Chairman of the NAACP.

“As a nonpartisan civil rights organization, we’ve hosted President Obama, Clinton, Bush Jr., and Reagan, to name a few. This is a historic departure from past presidents’ engagements with the Association.

“During his campaign, President Trump asked us ‘what do you have to lose?’ This is the second time President Trump has refused an offer to speak at our annual convention. We get the message loud and clear. The President’s decision today underscores the harsh fact: we have lost – we’ve lost the will of the current Administration to listen to issues facing the Black community.

“The NAACP fights to make sure democracy is real for all communities. We fight to end racism, hatred and discrimination in the United States. Our branches fight for real issues like access to healthcare, a fair justice system, equal opportunity to education, an end to police brutality and the right to vote. When President Trump is ready to listen to us and the people we serve, we will be here. Until then, the NAACP will continue to strive for an America free from racism and continue to speak truth to power.”

Why Donald Trump refused to attend the NAACP Convention

Trump declines invitation to speak at NAACP convention

UPDATE: NAACP issues statement on Trump refusing invite to NAACP Convention

The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump has declined an invitation to speak at the NAACP's annual convention next week in Baltimore, leading the nation's oldest civil rights organization to question the president's commitment to his African American constituents.

"During his campaign, President Trump asked us 'what do you have to lose?'" NAACP Board Chairman Leon Russell said. "We get the message loud and clear. The president's decision today underscores the harsh fact: we have lost - we've lost the will of the current administration to listen to issues facing the black community."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the announcement to reporters that the president declined the NAACP's invitation to speak at its 108th annual convention. Trump also did not speak to the NAACP convention last year, citing scheduling conflicts with the Republican National Convention.

The NAACP found out from reporters that Sanders had announced that Trump would not attend.

Sanders said while the president had declined the invitation, "certainly the invitation for dialogue with that group would happily take place and we'd certainly like to continue to do that."

Russell called Trump's decision a "historic departure from past presidents' engagements with the association," saying former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan all addressed the NAACP.

"When President Trump is ready to listen to us and the people we serve, we will be here," Russell said. "Until then, the NAACP will continue to strive for an America free from racism and continue to speak truth to power."

Why Donald Trump refused to attend the NAACP Convention

[SOURCE: ABC NEWS]