Mississippi State Conference Statement in Response to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Announcement Regarding Recent National Protests of Police Brutality

Jackson, Mississippi (September 21, 2018)– We are deeply disappointed by the recent statements and endorsements released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Governor Phil Bryant regarding the inaccurate assessment of the national protest around police brutality.

The Mississippi State Conference NAACP (MS NAACP) stands firmly with those who actively oppose systemic injustice, and we do so with a strong network of members and partners who are or have family members who are police officers, military servicemen and women, and employees of DPS.

We strongly believe that law enforcement officers and other citizens should not be perceived as unpatriotic for speaking out against police brutality, and these individuals also should not be reprimanded for freely and peacefully voicing their disdain for injustice.

We support individuals who exercise their constitutional rights to peacefully protest and speak out against prejudices, and we wholeheartedly advocate for the rights of those individuals to express themselves without fear of persecution.

Furthermore, we urge the Commissioner and Governor to ponder the principles embedded in our Constitution: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

To that end, we ask that all Mississippians stand with the MS NAACP in combatting divisive rhetoric and agendas that fervently oppose equality. It is imperative that we identify the underlying causes for social and political activism and not be swayed by those that wish to hinder or impede the work of building a more equitable nation.

About the Mississippi State Conference NAACP

Formed in 1945, the Mississippi State Conference NAACP (MS NAACP) has been on the frontlines of all major civil rights battles in the state and across the South. With a revolving membership of more than 11,000 in 74 of Mississippi’s 82 counties, the MS NAACP advocates for economic, educational, political and social justice for all people to ensure a society that is free from racial discrimination and division.