The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on Friday voted to dismiss its sitting president as it works to refocus and spend more time aggressively resisting President Trump.
“The objective is to best position the respected national organization to confront the realities of today’s volatile political, media and social climates,” the group said in a statement following the decision.
Brooks told The New York Times Friday that he was “baffled” by the decision. He is expected to officially depart in June.
{mosads}“I’m somewhat mystified and disappointed because I love the work,” Brooks said. “Relevance is about authenticity and impact, and we tried to do that. So it’s been a tough ride.”
Leon W. Russell, the chairman of the board, and Derrick Johnson, the vice chairman, will take over day-to-day operations until a new president is named.
The Times reported that changes are due in part to the NAACP leadership’s desire to appeal to a younger generation of of liberal black activists. One way it plans to start reaching younger activists is with an upcoming listening tour.
“In the coming months, the NAACP will embark upon a historic national listening tour to ensure that we harness the energy and voices of our grassroots members, to help us achieve transformational change, and create an internal culture designed to push the needle forward on civil rights and social justice,” a statement from the group said Friday. “Today is the first day of our next 100 years.