Statement from Human Rights Campaign:
WASHINGTON With today's news that Benjamin Jealous will be stepping down from his position as NAACP president later this year, the Human Rights Campaign reflected on the legacy of a man who not merely led his organization to embrace LGBT equality, but who transformed the national conversation around civil rights for all Americans.
"Because of the dedication and tireless work of Ben Jealous, this country is more just, more equal, and more hopeful," said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. "He is nothing less than a modern-day civil rights visionary, and it is my privilege to call him a friend."
During Jealous's term at the helm of the nation's largest civil rights organization, the NAACP formally endorsed marriage equality for LGBT Americans at a decisive moment in the 2012 election cycle. Prior to the NAACP's announcement, no pro-marriage equality initiative had ever succeeded at the ballot box. But thanks in part to the leadership of Ben Jealous, crucial ballot measures in states like Maryland prevailed for the very first time.
"On my first day on the job as HRC President back in 2012, my very first meeting was with Ben Jealous," said Griffin. "He believes in his heart that none of us is equal until all of us are equal, and that commitment to justice for all made him an ideal national leader at this decisive moment."
Jealous was a crusader for economic justice and empowerment, he campaigned tirelessly against regressive laws that disenfranchise minority voters, and he advocated relentlessly for the common purpose of all movements fighting for equality.
The youngest leader in the more than 100-year history of the NAACP, Jealous is a Rhodes Scholar and has spoken about the plight of his interracial parents, who wed before Loving v. Virginia struck down anti-miscegenation laws across the country.
"My parents own marriage was against the law at the time and they had to return here to Baltimore after getting married in Washington, D.C.," Jealous tearfully explained to reporters while announcing the NAACP's endorsement of marriage equality last May. "This is an important day."
PFLAG NATIONAL STATEMENT ON DEPARTURE OF NAACP'S BEN JEALOUS:
WASHINGTON, D.C. PFLAG Nationalthe nation's largest organization for families, friends and allies of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peopletoday issued the following statement from its Executive Director, Jody M. Huckaby, on the upcoming departure of President/CEO Ben Jealous from the NAACP.
"Ben Jealous has been an excellent leader in the movement for civil rights, strongly supportive of the cause of equality for all citizens, including LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people. At a time when the movement for social, racial, and economic justice sometimes devolves into less-than-productive partnership, Ben has instead worked to strengthen the intersection between our causes. The expansion of the NAACP's support for all people who are marginalized is the cornerstone of a new dialogue happening at the community level and will be a lasting legacy to the civil rights movement. I, along with PFLAGers everywhere, wish him nothing but continued success."
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force statement:
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is expressing its gratitude to NAACP President & CEO Ben Jealous for his leadership in making "positive change a reality for millions." Jealous announced that he is stepping down from his position at the end of the year to devote more time to family and new professional challenges.
"Ben is an outstanding leader who made history and makes positive change a reality for millions," said Rea Carey, Task Force Executive Director. "I've had the joy and the honor of working with Ben, whether it was as we strategized in coalition against voter suppression, celebrated the wins for marriage equality, expressed outrage at Supreme Court decisions or as our families marched together to protest New York's Stop and Frisk policy."
A long-time friend of the Task Force and the LGBT community, Jealous was the keynote speaker at the 2012 Creating Change Conference in Baltimore (link to video of full speech: www.youtube.com/watch; . He also traveled extensively to states facing marriage ballot measures, including Maryland, Minnesota and others, to proclaim his support for marriage equality. Jealous is also a staunch champion of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).
"Ben deeply understands the interconnectedness of the many struggles for social, racial and economic justice. His work across the country for voting rights, against gun violence and his passionate advocacy on a range of issues has reinvigorated a new civil rights generation. He spoke out in Maryland, Minnesota and elsewhere in support of marriage equality. I have no doubt that Ben and the NAACP contributed to our wins in states across the country over the last year. The Task Force will always be grateful for his commitment to LGBT people and their families especially on our shared focus of racial and economic justice."
Jealous' leadership is widely credited with transforming the NAACP into a more financially sound, sustainable and powerful organization. Over his five-year tenure, the organization is now the largest civil rights organizationïż˝ online. The NAACP has also increased its donor base almost ten-fold. Simultaneously, the NAACP has dramatically increased the ïż˝Association's digital and electoral presence.
"Ben is a good friend to the Task Force and we've enjoyed working in partnership with him and his team over his five-year tenure. I will personally miss working with Ben but I also know his work for freedom and justice is not ending. We wish Ben and his family the best and we will look forward to our continued partnership with NAACP, standing with the organization as it moves through this next leadership transition. Thank you, Ben, for passionately guiding the arc evermore towards justice," Carey said.