NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson, released the following statement in support of D.C. Statehood:
“For over two centuries, Washington D.C.’s lack of statehood has been rooted in white supremacy. When Black men gained the right to vote in 1867, Congress replaced the local, elected government with three white men commissioners. Since then, opposition to statehood has been driven by false dog-whistle arguments on the city’s ability to manage its own affairs.”
“Earlier this month, white supremacists holding Confederate flags and wearing Nazi slogans were left to roam free in our nation’s capital without protection for the majority of Washingtonians who are Black and Brown, all because D.C. is not a state.”
“It’s time for Biden administration to work with Congress to prioritize making D.C. a state and end the oppression of Washingtonians of color. We applaud the introduction of a statehood bill in the Senate as a major step in that direction.”
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