MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2018 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Witherspoon, Barnett, Blount, Bryan, Burton, Dearing, Frazier, Hopson, Horhn, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Norwood, Simmons (12th)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND CONGRATULATING DERRICK JOHNSON AS THE NEWLY INSTALLED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP).
WHEREAS, on October 21, 2017, the Executive Committee of the NAACP National Board of Directors elected Derrick Johnson President and CEO. Derrick Johnson formerly served as Vice Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors as well as State President for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP; and
WHEREAS, a longstanding member and leader of the NAACP, Mr. Johnson will guide the association through a period of reenvisioning and reinvigoration; and
WHEREAS, born in Detroit, Mr. Johnson attended Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. He then continued on to Houston, Texas, to receive his Juris Doctor from the South Texas College of Law. In later years, Mr. Johnson furthered his training through fellowships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the George Washington University School of Political Management, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has served as an annual Guest Lecturer at Harvard Law School, lending his expertise to Professor Lani Guinier's course on social movements, and as an Adjunct Professor at Tougaloo College; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Johnson is a veteran activist who has dedicated his career to defending the rights and improving the lives of Mississippians. As State President of the NAACP Mississippi State Conference, he led critical campaigns for voting rights and equitable education. He successfully managed two bond referendum campaigns in Jackson, Mississippi, that brought $150 Million in school building improvements and $65 Million toward the construction of a new convention center, respectively. As a Regional Organizer at the Jackson-based nonprofit corporation, Southern Echo, Inc., Mr. Johnson provided legal, technical and training support for communities across the south; and
WHEREAS, in recognition for his service to the State of Mississippi, the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court appointed Mr. Johnson to the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission, and the Governor of Mississippi appointed him Chair of the Governor's Commission for Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina; and
WHEREAS, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Johnson founded One Voice, Inc., to improve the quality of life for African-Americans through civic engagement training and initiatives. One Voice has spawned an annual Black Leadership Summit and the Mississippi Black Leadership Institute, a nine-month training program for community leaders; and
WHEREAS, founded February 12, 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots-based Civil Rights organization. It's more than one-half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for Civil Rights in their communities, campaigning for equal opportunity and conducting voter mobilization; and
WHEREAS, we salute the career of a Mississippian whose efforts to remove barriers of racial discrimination have brought honor to his organization and to the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize and congratulate Derrick Johnson as the newly installed President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and we extend our best wishes to Mr. Johnson and his family as they embark on this important mission.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Derrick Johnson, forwarded to the NAACP Mississippi State Conference, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.