National NAACP leader in Raleigh today

Ben Jealous, the dynamic young leader of the national NAACP will be in Raleigh today (along with North Carolina’s own dynamic young leader – state NAACP president, Rev. William Barber). Their purpose: to help push national health care reform legislation across the finish line. The two will headline a press conference at 11:00 a.m. outside the old state capitol building.

This is from the media advisory announcing the event:

A wide range of civil rights and African American civic and professional organizations are joining forces to push for a strong public option. ‘Most black people know someone who has died due to ineffective health care policy’ said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. ‘We need heath care reform that provides affordable health insurance to all Americans and that can’t be done without a strong public option.’

‘Too many Americans today are straining under the burden of two related trends: shrinking health care coverage and rising health care costs,’ State NAACP President, Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II added and continued, ‘Over the last decade, millions of Americans, have found themselves uninsured, and millions more have become underinsured as the value of their coverage has declined. Now it is time for us who believe in a united America, a caring America, a compassionate America to speak up.’

Over 50 civil rights organizations, including National Conference of Black Mayors, National Coalition for Civic Participation, NAACP, National Urban League and Black Leadership Forum have come together to urge congress to pass real health care reform with a strong public option. NAACP has launched the 880 Campaign, www.naacp.org, which is an unprecedented coordinated effort by the NAACP, National Urban League, and the 51 civil rights, civic, professional, trade, & labor organizations that make up the Black Leadership Forum to ensure that the health care debate in Congress results in meaningful reform, including a strong public option.”