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WITH ‘THE FIERCE URGENCY OF NOW,’ NAACP CONVENES 116TH ANNUAL
CONVENTION  
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Dorothy A. Clark
July 15, 2025
The Bay State Banner
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_ For the first time in its history, the NAACP declined to invite the
sitting president. Nor was Vice President JD Vance asked to attend.
The organization invited Trump to its conventions during his first
term in office, which he turned down. _

From left: Panel moderator and advocate Angela Rye, Rep. Lauren
Underwood, Rep. Yvette Clarke and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson come
together to discuss the panel Crisis Point: Defending Democracy and
Civil Rights in a Volatile Political Climate." , (Photo:
Screenshot/YouTube)

 

Under the theme “The Fierce Urgency of Now,” the NAACP opened its
116th annual convention on July 12, with the intent of both
safeguarding and advancing the civil rights gains and social justice
efforts under ruthless federal attack.

Convening in Charlotte, North Carolina, through July 16, the national
gathering prepared to fight on many fronts in keeping with its
historical mission to bolster the agency of Black communities in the
United States.

The future of democracy is among the convention’s top priorities.

“We are steeling the organization for the future,” said Dominic K.
Hawkins, the NAACP’s vice president of communications. “We are
mobilizing, gathering, strategizing moving forward. That’s one of
the main purposes of the convention.”

The convention theme is a quotation by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The
civil rights leader used it in what has come to be called his “I
Have a Dream” speech, which he delivered on August 28, 1963, at the
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in front of the Lincoln
Memorial. It was a statement he would use again, notably in his 1967
book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community.” King wrote:
“We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are
confronted with the fierce urgency of _now._ In this unfolding
conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too
late.”

The NAACP’s route of strategic immediacy is in part planned to
counter the policy rollbacks and changes the administration of
President Donald J. Trump has wrought since he began his second term
in January. With vast and dire changes to who will qualify for
Medicaid, to education funding, to protecting economic and social
equity for all, many working- and middle-class Americans will be shut
out of the country’s bounty to which they contribute.

“We are going to see a major change in what government is,”
Hawkins said. He pointed out that Trump is using “authoritarian
tactics, strongman tactics, to bend the American public to his
will.”

Yet, while the NAACP is experienced in combating such conditions, he
said, what we are seeing now has never been quite like this. “There
has always been resistance to Black progress,” he said, citing the
1921 race massacre in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, a
prosperous community known as “The Black Wall Street.”  There has
always been a Black response to incidents of white backlash, and it
has often been creative, Hawkins said.

The NAACP Convention has always been a place for collaborative action.
It brings together change-makers, thought leaders, entrepreneurs,
academics, entertainers and social influencers for networking and idea
exchanging on issues that affect Black America. Discussions, delegate
debates, sessions and special events generate action plans. Convention
delegates vote on resolutions that will inform the organization’s
strategies for the coming year, Hawkins said.

Among these talks will be ways of expanding Black-owned businesses,
protecting voting rights, countering efforts to dismantle government
agencies and fighting authoritarianism and fascism, he said.

For the first time in its history, the NAACP declined to invite the
sitting president. Nor was Vice President JD Vance asked to attend.
The organization invited Trump to its conventions during his first
term in office, 2017-2021, which he turned down.

According to NPR
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a White House spokesman issued a statement saying, “The NAACP
isn’t advancing anything but hate and division, while the President
is focused on uniting our country, improving our economy, securing our
borders, and establishing peace across the globe. This is the same
vision for America that a record number of Black Americans supported
in the resounding reelection of President Trump.”

Hawkins pointed out that the NAACP is not about advocating any
political viewpoints; it is a nonpartisan organization that works for
the benefit of “all Americans, not just Black Americans.” There
are ways in which the public can play a role in the NAACP’s efforts,
he said. These include voting, getting the word out, people sharing
what they hear and joining the organization.

It has been three decades since the NAACP held its annual convention
in Charlotte. In a statement released in June, the organization stated
that this year’s gathering comes “at a pivotal moment, as
marginalized communities face escalating political attacks, financial
equity remains elusive, and vital federal programs hang in the
balance. During the convention, the NAACP is bringing together its
vast network to confront these challenges head-on. Programming will
explore the profound impact of Black culture on DEI, education, and
justice, while also serving as a call to action.”

This year’s convention offerings feature a health summit and the
return of The Hub, a 50,000-square-foot community space with
businesses, resources, author signings and programming to engage
attendees in the main halls between events. The Hub includes a job and
career fair, sports and games, and a college summit and career fair,
among other offerings.

For the first time, the convention will offer the NAACP’s Hollywood
Bureau’s “Be in the Biz” series, which is designed to help
underrepresented communities enter the entertainment industry. This
initiative brings industry knowledge and opportunity to emerging
content creators who don’t have access to Hollywood networks,
executives, or resources. This year’s lineup features influential
Hollywood insiders, including producers, network executives,
filmmakers and creative leaders.

The NAACP’s achievement program ACT SO — Afro-Academic, Cultural,
Technological and Scientific Olympics — will be highlighted during
the convention as well, with winners of local competitions from around
the country participating in the final competition and awards
ceremony. ACT SO is a nationwide, yearlong achievement program
designed to recruit, stimulate and encourage high academic and
cultural achievement among African American high school students.

 

* NAACP
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* Martin Luther King Jr.
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* Authoritarianism
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* Donald Trump
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