Joining me this morning is deborah brown, member of the Naacp National board of directors from virginia. Deborah brown, please stand. Lets give her a round of applause. [applause] now will everyone please stand, everyone please stand for the invocation which will be given by reverend dr. Harold carter, pastor of the New Shiloh Baptist Church in baltimore maryland. Lets all give him a of applause as he comes out. [applause] my dear friends, lets bow our heads and humble our hearts. Before our god. We thank you as always, gracious god, for the gifts of life, for the gift of another day. We still our hearts in your presence because only you have brought us through the night. And we say thank you. And our gracious god, we lift the language of the song that he could basis of the day that you have made and were here to be glad and rejoice in it. With all of the gifts and talents that you provide us with an grant to us, we know that one thing we cannot do is make a day, but we are grateful that you have and you care. And so weve come, o gracious god, at the beginning of this day having been blessed to the course of the weekend, to call upon your name and to invoke your holy presence in front of all that we speak to do, as a part of this grand work, the naacp. With knowledge you for the 108 years, that you kept this work strong and on the cutting edge. We have intoned the light of the likes of w. E. B. Du bois, and say thank you for all of the many shoulders that we stand on. You are a good god, and your worthy to be praised. And gracious god, we are happy because as we stand in your glorious presence, we can certainly thank you for Derrick Johnson and for how you have brought him to a whole new level of leadership. Thank you as well for the professor leads the worker locally in the city of baltimore. And those who come from far away we just want to thank you for traveling graces, and traveling mercies. We pray now that you will be with us throughout the balance of our time of sharing, that all that we do will be to bless others, to encourage others to make a difference in this world, in this nation. We need you, and we cannot do without you. And even though president 45 has closed the door and denied his coming to be with us, we know that you are with us, and thats what really matters. And so we give your name the glory and the praise, because you promise, yes, you have, you promise that you will never leave us, nor forsake us. And we dont believe you brought the naacp this far to leave us now. So be our god and be our guide, and when its all over on the side, we pray that you will be our eternal hope. We give this work into your hands and pray that the entities will be defeated, knowing that we have victory in jesus this is our hope, this is our faith and this is our prayer. We Stay Together amen. Amen. Thank you, reverend carter. Lets give reverend carter a round of applause. [applause] have an announcement. Those delegates who are submitting petitions as candidates for the atlarge seat on the board of directors must bring a petition to the election Supervisor Committee at the front of the dais. Would you members of the committee please raise your hands. You actually have eight minutes, eight minutes to submit your petition to this supervisory committee. Once again, they are standing here in front. You have up to 10 a. M. Now we have individuals who will be bringing greetings to the naacp. It is my privilege to present the honorable ben carson, United States senate from baltimore maryland. Lets give them a round of applause. [applause] thank you very much. Welcome to baltimore. We love baltimore. The present may not love baltimore but we love baltimore. [applause] its really good to be here, honor to represent the people of maryland. Its a wonderful death naacp here in baltimore. I wanted to acknowledge our great state president gerald, the great job that he does. I want to acknowledge our great leader in Baltimore City for the work that she does at naacp. [applause] and we are just very proud in baltimore to be the headquarters of naacp, and a great history that we have had in our state of maryland. Thurgood marshall, a citizen of maryland. Clarence mitchell junior other one had a first member of United States senate. The Murphy Family and what theyve done, 125 Year Anniversary of the abaco afroamerican newspaper right here in baltimore. We a great history, jake oliver doing a super job. The great leadership that weve had in the naacp comingout of our state. The first woman president of the naacp, weve had been jealous, great leaders comingout of our state and were just very, very proud of what weve been able to do. And baltimore has one of the greatest mayors in america in katharine q so you hear from hr shortly. I know our states attorney Marilyn Mosby is also yupik we have a great team here at our state and we are very, very proud. I 20 take one moment to tell you that the business that you are doing at this convention is more important than ever before. Our values are being attacked by whats happening in washington today. Americas strength is not just because we have a strong military, and we do, the best in the world. Its not just because with a Strong Economy and we have a stronger economy in the world, and god knows we could do better in our economy. Americas strength is in our ideals, in our belief in democracy and Democratic Institutions and free elections and edwin verses 90 and embracing diversity. Thats under attack in washington today. I will be leaving here to go back to washington to fight to preserve the Affordable Care act. Were not going to let them turn the clock back. [applause] taking 2233 night off the insurance rolls, no way. America believes that helped her as a right, not a privilege. Thats a privilege. Thats what were fighting for. [applause] we are fighting this integrity commission, Election Integrity commission that the president has appointed looking for problems, looking for problems that doesnt exist. We fought long and hard for the right to vote. We are not going to let them turn back the right of every american to exercise their constitutional rights. [applause] and in education, im a proud part of the Baltimore City public schools. [applause] education is the great equalizer. Betsy devos is not a fan of Public Education. We have our job to make sure all children get the education they deserve. And i couldnt leave without just commenting about freddie gray in baltimore. It happens in too many seats around the nation where we saw tragedies at the hands of law enforcement. And know that we have a broken criminal Justice System that needs to be fixed. Your work here working with us, lets fix the system can lets get rid of racial profiling once and for all in america. [applause] lets work with our communities to do a better job. And one last point, freddie gray as a youngster was poisoned by led. You saw what happened in flint, michigan. Our people deserve our work to make sure they are kept safe. Lets get rid of light in her pipes. Lets get rid of lead in our children lets protect our future. [applause] so brothers and sisters, thank you for coming to baltimore. I want you to know our behalf of the maryland congressional delegation we welcome you here to baltimore. We are on your team. Working together to advance the rights of all americans. God bless. [applause] we thank you, senator cardin. Lets give them a round of applause once again. [applause] everybody all right . I am pleased to invite the honorable katharine pugh, the mayor of the great city of baltimore maryland. Lets give her a well, welldeserved round of applause. We dont care if trump is here. We got the mayor in the house. [applause] let me just tell you how all its that i am that you all are here in baltimore. You have come home come home to your National Headquarters to celebrate 100 eighth congress of naacp. I welcome you on behalf of all of the citizens of baltimore. And i just want to say we have worked hard. I am sure they rolled out the red carpet if we want you all to feel welcome in our city. Let me just say to you all we have a lot of work ahead of us. We understand the history of naacp. You been the social conscious of america for decades. But we ask you to contingent remember our history but more importantly lets think about our future. Its not just about social justice. Its about economic justice, inclusion, economic equality, bringing about a Better Police force, bringing about better communities. Bringing about better neighborhoods, working together, lifting our political power, showing a political power and working together. I know that while you all are here that you will work on an agenda that is forward thinking, that we must look at what were doing in terms of drug treatment in our neighborhoods and making sure our seniors can stay in their homes. But more importantly how we collectively, collectively raise up our community. Weve got to build businesses in our neighborhoods. Weve got to strip the neighborhoods so they can be economically viable. We understand that education is the equalizer and thats why we are grateful for the senate delegation, our congressional delegation but we need more federal dollars to improve our school system, and proof our neighborhoods, improve housing. Called the petitions iran. I want to make an announcement that the decision is now closed. I am told the decisions are now closed. Give it for a man once again. Now, i would like to bring up my brother, my friend. He is the former naacp president ceo in candidate for the governor of the great state of maryland, your friend and mine, mr. Benjamin todd jealous. [applause] good morning, naacp. It is good to be home. Im doing good. I am doing good. Now yall going to make me cry. Welcome. Welcome to the home of Thurgood Marshall, the home of clarence mitchell. The home of Juanita Jackson missile, president mcmillan in the home of Frederick Douglass. He ran away from and then came back to work as a builder. And we in the Civil Rights Movement, we got our shores from Frederick Douglass a long time ago. The 13th amendment 14th amendment and 15th amendment and he was Frederick Douglass who stood a man in his speech, our composite nationality, his tirade against the chinese exclusion act, not dissimilar to these latino exclusion actors in arizona, alabama, naacp fighting against for a long time now. In times like these and immigrants of color were increasing in the far right wing conservative donald trump have lost their mind. Frederick douglass stood up and he said, you know, we didnt come to regret it worked when slavery in the southeast just to watch you all play somebody else in the southwest. And he said if you believe majorities matter and i believe they do, it should matter therefore fit said the world is colored people and only one is white. Reverend, good to see you, sir. Lets hear it for our fearless reverend, dr. Barber. And then, Frederick Douglass laid out his vision for our nation, edition we have pursued as a Civil Rights Movement a person, especially in this organization, which literally rose from the ashes of the old abolitionist movement. Frederick douglass every nation has a unique destiny and that destiny is based on nations character in the nations character is defined by that nation at its best, not his worst. Donald trump. And ultimately, animations character is rooted in its geography and our geography is unique. We are bordered by friendly nations that different colors, north and south in great oceans east and west, to every people on the planet. And therefore, our nation destiny based on her carrot dirt, defined and shaped by our unique geography and the exact quote come is to be the most perfect example of the unity and dignity of the human family that the world has ever seen. But the world has ever seen. My beloved naacp, more than anyone in this nation, we are the ones who are called to assure that the matter what happens in washington, our country keeps moving towards it destiny. I want to congratulate the ascension to be the acting president of the naacp. And leon russell on becoming our new chairman. And it is appropriate that we are that in this moment a great leaders from the south, from the date because it is in our state where we can do our best work right now. We can ensure that we have single payer no matter what happens in washing 10. We can assure that we raised the minimum wage to 15 per hour no matter what happens in washington. Most of our inmates are in state jails, not federal. We can end mass incarceration no matter what happens. But in order to do that, brothers and sisters, in these times when the president of the United States has convened a Voter Suppression commission, at a time where he literally has the allstars of Voter Suppression meeting at the white house to suppress our boat, we must do what we do best and remind ourselves that the antidote for Voter Suppression is massive Voter Registration. Brothers and sisters, i want to be very clear we can change this country right now if we have the numbers we have the power right now to look down the east coast of our country right now, straight down to florida. We can change the direction of our nation and back to a destiny, but it starts with massive Voter Registration. In South Carolina, when i was a young organizer in mississippi. And once they win by 100,000 votes over 350,000 unregistered black votes in South Carolina right now. Far right wing conservatives tend to win 250,000 votes. A few years ago there were 830,000 are black latinos and asians. 830,000 with help from registering more than 830,000. Weve got to go all the way. Down in florida where the leadership has always been the most cost effect is placed to register votes. When Hillary Clinton lost by 120,000 votes, there are almost a million unregistered blacks and Puerto Ricans right now. Brothers and sisters, i hope that if youre unit has not made Voter Registration a yearround every day from a year income year out of committee right now because we can get america headed back towards her destiny but it starts with massive Voter Registrations and starts with american democracy. The naacp. Thank you. God bless. I would like to now introduce my big brother from detroit, from motown. Youve never heard of the temptations, have you all . The supreme little Stevie Wonder from the great city of detroit. It is night great pleasure to introduce the reverend or wendell, member of the Naacp National airspace chairman naacp religious Affairs Committee and the president of the Detroit Branch in the Senior Pastor of the fellow chaplain from detroit michigan, lets bring up the reverend dr. Wendell anthony. Good morning, naacp. Good morning, naacp. Reason one, reason to, reason three, reason for, reason five, reason six, reason seven. Give everybody a hand. All the reasons in the house. Let me start by adding an incident that occurred separate years ago speaking to a group in upstate new york. Joining a rally for womens averages and Voting Rights. As she was speaking there is an old woman in the rear that said women, it means about as much to me specifically buzzing around the rear and the malice and. Looking up demand and said okay, you might not like my buzzing, but im guaranteed to keep you scratching. You see, beloved, the naacp mesquite barbells scratching. Weve got to keep the justice and revenge scratching. Police misconduct must be stressing. Health care opponents must be stressing. They must never get too comfortable with their own misdeeds, i. E. The president of the united state and over disrespect and disregard for the people in this nation. You see, naacp, we have a lot to do with the backlash on what happened yesterday. We have not yet crossed the river, that the election of 2015 that we were going to be good, dead america had gotten the message right after the civil war and weve got seats in congress and weve got some schools in some hospitals and we got a little freedom in the south than in the north. Get a deal was cut way back then and it looks like what Frederick Douglass said. It is still true today. That those who favor freedom and people who want the crux without telling up the ground. Without the thunder and the lightning. They want the ocean without the rock of the mighty water or may be a physical one were physical, because power concedes nothing without demand. The gains that weve made back then. Never getting our 40 acres. The serbian or political power in your social economic mobilization. He was in negative response to a positive movement. Due to our struggles, everybody got educated. With the education that are for mothers and daughters built for the entire nation. Everybody got service and with respect to to and everybody as they collect a group, what has been done to our collective family. Thats what we need to understand in 22016 and this aint about a new political dynamic and new ideological paradigm this age of triumph is about a black man who lives with a woman with two black girls and a black grandma and a black dog in the white house for eight years. This is a backlash. The <