The convention also highlighted a program launched by the NAACP this year aimed at recruiting more young corporate executives who are Black to the organization. It elected a retired Verizon executive, Bruce Gordon, as its new president and CEO.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act enacted on Aug. 6, 1965. Key provisions of the act are due to expire in 2007.

For the fifth year in a row President George Bush declined an invitation to address the convention. But several Republican leaders did. Joining NAACP chairman Julian Bond on the platform, Republican congressman James Sensenbrenner told the delegates, “The Voting Rights Act will be extended during this session of Congress and in its current form.” Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the Republican leadership supports extension of the act.

In a later session Republican party chairman Kenneth Mehlman took the opportunity to court Black votes. “Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization,” Mehlman said. “I am here today as the Republican chairman to tell you we were wrong.”

Democratic politician Jesse Jackson urged support for an August 6 march and rally in Atlanta calling for reauthorizing the act. Convention delegates voted to back the march and rally.

On other issues, the NAACP convention called for the administration to appoint a “moderate” judge to the Supreme Court, to establish a “timeline” for the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and for sending more U.S. troops to Haiti to help “stabilize” the country.  
 
 
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