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In an historic move, the National for the Advancement of Colored People's board of directors has voted to endorse marriage equality.
This comes in the wake of President Barack Obama's public endorsement of same-sex marriage ten days ago.
See what the NAACP has to say in regards to this groundbreaking annoucement after the jump!
The NAACP's resolution (courtesy of Metro Weekly) includes the following:
"The NAACP Constitution affirmatively states our objective to ensure the 'political, education, social and economic equality' of all people. Therefore, the NAACP has opposed and will continue to oppose any national, state, local policy or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the Constitutional rights of LGBT citizens. We support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Further, we strongly affirm the religious freedoms of all people as protected by the First Amendment."
Members of NAACP have been excited to announce the vote.
Former NAACP senior vice president Maxim Thorne, who has worked for both the NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign, tweeted, "The NAACP Board of Directors has just endorsed marriage equality unequivocally. Only two opposed! An historic moment."
Roslyn Brock, NAACP board chair, said, "The mission of the NAACP has always been to ensure the political, social and economic equality of all people. We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law."
Benjamin Jealous, the president and CEO of the NAACP, added, "Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. The NAACP's support for marriage equality is deeply rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and equal protection of all people. The well-funded right wing organizations who are attempting to split our communities are no friend to civil rights, and they will not succeed."
We're loving Benjamin Jealous's statement. In other words, "Good luck with the wedge issue/race baiting, NOM."
Out of 64 board members, only two opposed the measure.
This is huge news and we're excited to see the NAACP, one of the nation's preeminent civil rights organizations, joining us in the fight for equal rights for all.
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