Bill Clinton: “as today marks the 98th anniversary of the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People…”

“as today marks the 98th anniversary of the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), I am proud to submit a concurrent resolution to honor our country's oldest and largest civil rights organization for the work they have done to change the path of our Nation. The legacy of pioneers such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, hundreds more cannot and must not be forgotten. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution honoring and praising the NAACP for 98 years of championing the cause of equality in the United States. At the dawn of the 20th century--over half a century after the Civil War--African Americans were still denied the full rights of citizenship. They were forced to endure the daily humiliation and struggle of economic exploitation, social segregation, and sometimes even physical brutality. Racial tensions began to escalate, resulting in riots and lynchings. It was at this critical juncture in our Nation's history that a group of concerned citizens, recognizing the urgent need to address these intolerable conditions, gathered to form the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in New York City. Since its founding, the NAACP has sought to eliminate racial discrimination and has fought for the social, political, and economic equality of all Americans, while maintaining its commitment to nonviolence in achieving these goals.”