The Arkansas conference of the NAACP has released a statement in opposition of Sen. Dan Sullivan’s proposal to end affirmative action in Arkansas.
Sullivan, very disingenuously, last week argued that the bill would promote equity.
“This bill puts everyone on an equal field,” Sullivan said. “If the purpose of affirmative action is to give people who are in need a course of action, that’s exactly what the bill says. The bill says, people who are in need qualify. It doesn’t have to be race or sex or gender or whatever.”
Sullivan is set to meet with the legislative Black caucus at 10:30 a.m. today to discuss the bill.
Little Rock, Ark. – The Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP vehemently opposes SB71 of the 94th General Assembly of the Arkansas Legislature and any other proposed legislation that seeks to undermine Affirmative Action.
Through numerous resolutions, letters, etc. the NAACP has consistently reaffirmed its longstanding and firm support for equal opportunity policies such as affirmative action programs as an effective remedy to address historic and contemporary discrimination. Specifically, we support these policies in education, employment, and government contracts. To that end, the NAACP has consistently at the national, state, and local levels encouraged states which have rescinded the use of race in public programs to re-institute their programs, which are narrowly tailored to encourage diversity and we affirmatively supported states’ legislatures and other local government entities to adopt programs and policies which promote diversity.
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
