CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Next month, the NAACP will host its national convention in Charlotte, but for the first time in its 116-year existence a sitting U.S. president will not be invited.

That declaration came from Derrick Johnson, the organization’s president and CEO who shared his remarks Monday to about 50 supporters, board members and media during a press conference.

For Johnson, the decision has less to do with political and public partisanship and in general, he welcomed everyone to the annual event that runs from July 12-18 at Charlotte’s Convention Center.

But the NAACP and its mission is in conflict with the positions and policies of the Trump administration, he said.

“Our job is to make democracy work and fight to protect democracy,” Johnson said. ”We have a mission, and we will not entertain anyone who operates against that mission and the goal of ensuring that this democracy is intact, that we respect the Constitution and equal protection is afforded to all citizens, and human dignity is extended to all individuals.”

The NAACP is not only for Black people, he said, it is for people who care about democracy.

“Come and exchange ideals, and let’s talk about a way forward. We don’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat,” he said.

Convention theme

The theme for the 2025 convention is “The Fierce Urgency of Now,” which borrows from a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In 1963, King said, “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. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

It’s a phrase that resonates with the current times, said Karen Boykin-Towns, vice chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors who also spoke on Monday.

“There is a fierce urgency of now for us to be engaged, for us to be aware, for us to come together in unity, to really push back on the number of things that we’re seeing,” Boykin-Town cited issues with affordable housing, cuts in healthcare and voter suppression.

“There are those that are looking to turn back the clock,” Boykin-Towns, added, and noted that for her, there is enough evidence to see Black history being erased, especially through banning books and executive orders targeting the Smithsonian that seek to cut funding for programs with “improper ideology.”

Johnson said there is urgency because in the six months of Donald Trump’s presidency, “the boundaries have been pushed in ways in which none of us could have imagined.”

Plans for convention

This year’s convention will be time to celebrate, strategize and mobilize, said Rev. Corine Mack, who heads the NAACP’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg County branch.

Sessions at the convention will examine the role of government in safeguarding citizens, preserving free and fair elections and expanding access to health care, housing, and disaster relief, organizers said.

The convention will have a main focus on the development of policy and programming, said Leon Russell, the NAACP’s Board of Directors’ chairman.

At the convention, the organization will develop policy around how it will advocate for civil rights and social justice at local, state and national levels. The organization will also meet with attendees to plan what programs it will needs moving forward.

“We are concerned that public policy and public policy makers understand that public policy implemented improperly can destroy not just democracy but it can ultimately kill us individually,” he said. “Our advocacy must be to ensure that public policy works to enhance lives, not to shorten or diminish them.”

This year’s convention also includes The Hub, a free community space that will allow members and non-members to participate in the convention.

The Hub will be a 50,000-square-foot space with a Health and Wellness Zone, Career Fair, vendors and Tech, Banking, sports and gaming centers.

The organization previewed The Hub in Boston at their 2023 convention. Then, The Hub attracted around 10,000 visitors, according to Michael Turner, NAACP’s National Convention Committee Chairman

This hub will benefit the Charlotte community by providing a space to see Black culture and host conversations on topics such as how to build wealth and improve your health, Turner said.

Johnson said a combination of NAACP membership dues, sponsors and the city of Charlotte allowed the organization to have this space free to the community.

Economic benefit for Charlotte

Mayor Vi Lyles, on Monday said that during the convention the spotlight will be on Charlotte’s hospitality industry.

There will be “packed restaurants, films, museums, lots of shopping ladies, and a chance to show off our small businesses and our entrepreneurs, but most importantly, this convention allows us to host meaningful conversations about how we build a stronger and more inclusive future,” she said.

The 2024 convention was held in Las Vegas and fetched $16.7 million to revenue, according to Dominic Hawkins, NAACP’s vice president of communications — and is expected to bring in more for Charlotte.

Boykin-Towns explained that a large portion of NAACP members live in and around Charlotte.

The last time the NAACP held its national convention in Charlotte was in 1996. The organization’s return has been long awaited as the board planned for the 2021 convention to be held there before COVID interfered, organizers said.

“We’re in a critical time, and I really believe that Charlotte can be the flagship for the rest of the country in terms of how we move,” Mack said.

©2025 The Charlotte Observer. Visit at charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.