Atlanta NAACP President Richard Rose has apologized for criticizing former mayor Kasim Reed.
National NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson threatened to suspend or expel Rose if he continued to criticize Reed. Rose said in a statement Tuesday that he should have made his statement as “a private citizen, 50+ year resident of Atlanta, long-time local entrepreneur, and not as the president of the NAACP Atlanta Branch.”
“I now publicly acknowledge that it was a mistake to issue the repudiation of Kasim Reed on NAACP letterhead, in my position as president of the NAACP Atlanta Branch, even though it was agreed upon without dissent by the local executive committee,” Rose said in the statement.
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Credit: Jenni Girtman
Rose said his comments reflect his own feelings about Reed, adding that his “outspoken activism is driven by a heartfelt desire to end the historic disinvestment in our communities; and to see people of color treated with respect, dignity, and given equitable opportunity.”
Attorney Gerald A. Griggs, first vice president of Atlanta NAACP, said on Twitter that it’s “unfortunate” the national NAACP would publicly rebuke Rose’s actions. Griggs said he disagrees with the national branch’s assertion that the local branch violated their bylaws.
It’s unclear what the repudiation means for the race. Reed is statistically tied with City Council President Felicia Moore and 41% of voters are still undecided, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution polls.
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