NAACP Eyeing Legal Action in Mississippi

Session after session, the Mississippi legislature has sought to restrict the democratic rights and material wellbeing of Black Mississippians and especially the residents of Jackson. This legislative session has been no different, with multiple attempts to limit Jackson's residents' power and control over the city's water system, judges, and money. This comes shortly after clear successes by these residents to start rebuilding the city's water infrastructure following years of disinvestment by the state. Many of the bills under active consideration by the Mississippi legislature represent a direct and racialized attack on Black Mississippians.
 
So far, community pressure has forced the legislature to slow, revise, and potentially even withdraw some of these legislative efforts. If they pass, the NAACP will challenge in court legislation that substantively limits the rights of Black Jacksonians.
 
As the preeminent civil rights organization in the country, the NAACP has worked with Jackson residents and leadership to lead in the fight to defend the rights of the residents in Jackson. We won't stop until those rights have been secured.

###

About NAACP

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation's first civil and human rights law organization and shares our commitment to equal rights.