NAACP Reaffirms Support for Statehood and the Democratic Right to Self- Determination for the People of the District of Columbia

WHEREAS, the NAACP has a long-standing policy in support of Home Rule, legislative and budget autonomy in local affairs, and congressional representation which come with full statehood and democratic voting rights for the people of the District of Columbia (see resolutions from 1978, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2016); and

WHEREAS, Washington, D.C. is home to over 700,000 residents, a population larger than that of several U.S. states, yet is still denied full congressional representation and the basic right to self-determination in legislating its own affairs; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Constitution grants Congress power to approve or veto laws passed by the locally-elected officials of Washington, D.C. — yet, since passage of the Home Rule Act in 1973, the District has had limited democratic authority to administer its own affairs via its Mayor and City Council. Such power has increasingly been used to overturn the decisions of D.C.'s duly elected government, silence the voices of its residents, weaken Home Rule, and undermine its foundational right to democratic autonomy and self-determination; and

WHEREAS, recent actions by Congress and the President — including congressional overrides of duly enacted local laws, budgetary restrictions and riders, executive orders establishing new forms of federal overreach and interference in local affairs, and other means — have directly interfered with D.C.'s ability to enact policies that reflect the will of its residents; especially on urgent issues such as racial equity, economic empowerment, criminal justice reform, voting rights, housing and reproductive healthcare, and more; and

WHEREAS, this overreach disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities in all 8 Wards of Washington, D.C., who have long faced systemic disenfranchisement and are most vulnerable to the policies and overreach imposed by federal authorities; and

WHEREAS, the denial of full democratic rights to the residents of Washington, D.C. is at its core, a civil rights and racial justice issue, as the majority of the population consists of historically marginalized communities; and

WHEREAS, the NAACP has historically supported full self-governance and democratic autonomy for Washington, D.C., including through statehood as the only means to ensure full and equal representation in Congress;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms its previous resolutions of 1997 (home rule), 2006 (home rule), and support for statehood for Washington, D.C., its residents' fundamental right to democratic autonomy and self-governance free from congressional interference and federal overreach; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls on Congress and the Executive Branch to respect the democratically-elected representatives of the people of Washington, D.C., its democratically enacted laws, and to cease the use of appropriations riders, budget overrides, executive orders, and other mechanisms that undermine the rights of D.C. residents and violate decades of precedent that the District government be exempted from partisan congressional budget negotiations and potential federal shutdowns; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP will continue to elevate and advocate for the issue of D.C. statehood as the most effective and permanent solution to ensuring full representation and self-determination for D.C. residents; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP will mobilize its members, units, chapters, and partners to educate the public and policymakers on the importance of D.C. autonomy and statehood, and to support legislative and organizing efforts to promote the full enfranchisement of the people of the District of Columbia.