NAACP to host national convention on Strip as pivotal election draws near

It’s been a decade since the NAACP first held its annual convention in Las Vegas.

This year, the association’s decision to have the convention here a second time has taken on more importance, given Nevada’s status as a swing state in the 2024 presidential election.

And while Vice President Kamala Harris has participated in every convention throughout the tenure of the Biden administration, NAACP board Chairman Leo Russell said the association is nonpartisan.

The NAACP urges everyone to “simply go out and vote,” Russell said on Tuesday at a virtual news conference previewing the convention, set for July 11 to 17 at the newly renovated Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The event is open to the public.

Rashida Jones, president of MSNBC, and Fearless Fund CEO Arian Simone are two notable Black professionals who have already agreed to participate.

President Joe Biden and Harris have been invited to attend.

NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said the convention will provide the opportunity for delegates from across the country to convene to establish policy priorities for the year and into the future.

Johnson said the health of the nation’s democracy is more fragile this year than it has been possibly in several generations.

“This year’s election cycle isn’t a choice between candidate A or candidate B, or political party A or B,” he said. “It is really a choice of whether or not we have a functioning democracy, or something less than.”

On top of voting rights, the racial wealth gap will be front and center at the convention.

Rep. Steven Horsford, a Democrat who serves Nevada’s 4th Congressional District and chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, joined Russell and Johnson at the conference.

Horsford mentioned the rich history of the Black community in Las Vegas. When segregation kept Black people out of the casinos in the entertainment center, the Black Strip rose up around Jackson Avenue, he said.

With so many international events occuring in Las Vegas today like the Super Bowl and Las Vegas Grand Prix, Horsford said there’s a need to ensure these events result in investments and opportunities throughout the community.

Horsford also encouraged convention attendees to venture off the Strip.

Contact Peter Breen at pbreen@reviewjournal.com.