In the wake of some issues involving the Philadelphia Chapter President Rodney Muhammad since retweeting a Twitter post seen by many interfaith groups as anti-Semitic, The Philadelphia Chapter voted to have the National appoint an administrator to oversee the Branch functions in the interim of the upcoming chapter elections in November.
Here is the statement, attributed to the Philadelphia NAACP Executive Committee: We wish to clarify the events of August 21st regarding the Philadelphia Chapter of the NAACP Branch.
Any reporting mentioning that the Philadelphia NAACP Executive Committee has voted to “dissolve itself” is incorrect.
As mentioned in our statement, following an internal vote from the members of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia NAACP, the National office will appoint an administrator to assume overall responsibility for the operation of the Branch, its committees and staff. The administrator will oversee the work of the branch and Executive Committee moving forward.
The National office will also work with the Philadelphia branch to oversee transparent elections to new leadership. NAACP National coming in to help facilitate elections is not new, and is quite common for local branches.
Here is original statement:
On August 20, 2020, following an internal vote from the members of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia NAACP, the committee has agreed to have the National office take over as administrator to the branch. The National office will appoint an administrator to assume overall responsibility for the operation of the Branch, its committees and staff, effective immediately. The National office will also work with the Philadelphia branch to ensure a transparent and effective transition takes place to elect new leadership, chosen by its members.
“I apologize for my previous post and the hurt this has caused, and I regret the insult, pain, and offense it brought to all, especially those of the Jewish community,” said Rodney Muhammad, President of the Philadelphia NAACP. “The coming months are critical for America, and the efforts of both the NAACP and religious communities, working together across the country, are vital for the road ahead of us.
I welcome the decision by the Executive Committee to have the National office assume responsibility for the branch, help us transition to new leadership and seek to make our relationship with faith communities across Philadelphia stronger than ever.”
Muhammad and NAACP national president Derrick Johnson have pledged to meet with the groups most offended and start an interfaith dialogue designed to ease tensions and restore the integrity the organization was founded on.
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