Bernard Simelton, Alabama NAACP President, urged NAACP members to “get fired up” Thursday morning at Lakepoint.
Thursday marked the kick-off of the Alabama NAACP State Conference at Lakepoint. The event, which will last through Sunday, began with a press conference hosted by Simelton in which he discussed a myriad of topics from Alabama’s recent immigration law to the death penalty.
Simelton stated that Alabama’s immigration law is a subject Alabama NAACP is passionate about.
“Many of our legislators have bragged about it being one of the country’s toughest immigration laws,” said Simelton. “They’re right. It’s mean-spirited and unconstitutional. It will increase racial profiling (by officers) of certain groups. The law is wrong.”
Simelton said that state consumers will also suffer for the law.
“I’ve heard many folks in agriculture complain about their crops going rotten in the fields. This will drive up the costs of food, construction, homes and landscaping.”
Olivia Turner, executive director ACLU of Alabama, will present a program on the Alabama immigration law, Friday, Oct. 21, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. during the conference.
Simelton said that Alabama NAACP made a national funding call recently, “to tell our (sponsors) why they should fund us to repel this law.
“We hope to help defeat this law.”
Simelton also discussed Alabama’s Constitution which he described as outdated.
“Yes, it needs to be reformed,” he said. “It doesn’t do any good to keep amending it.”
Kelly Greer will present a workshop on Alabama Constitution reform Saturday, Oct. 22, from 3 to 4 p.m. at the conference.
Simelton spoke passionately against the death penalty, referencing the recent Georgia execution of Troy Davis, charged with shooting a police officer in Savannah, Ga. in 1989.
“(The NAACP) fought hard to keep this man from being executed,” said Simelton.
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