IN FIRST CONVENTION FOLLOWING DR. HAZEL DUKES PASSING, NAACP NEW YORK STATE CONFERENCE TO HAVE OUTSIZED ROLE AT 116TH NATIONAL CONVENTION

Newly Elected President L. Joy Williams To Speak At ‘Advocacy Then, Advocacy Now’ Panel Moderated By MSNBC’s Symone Sanders Townsend 

CONTACT: nysnaacp@ssmandl.com 

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CHARLOTTE, NC - On Saturday, July 12, the 116th NAACP National Convention will kick off its week-long programming of speakers and events, and the NAACP New York State Conference will have a large presence, including a 200 person delegation of participants and observers. President L. Joy Williams will also be featured as a panelist on the main stage in a panel moderated by MSNBC’s Symone Sanders Townsend with Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, Jotaka L. Eaddy, founder and CEO of Full Circle Strategies, LLC, and Leon Russell Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors. 
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Additionally, New Yorkers such as Attorney General Letitia James, Karen Boykin-Towns, Vice Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, Torian J. Easterling of One Health Brooklyn, physician and author Dr. Uché Blackstock, Karine Jean-Pierre, and more, will be speaking throughout the convention’s robust programming. The State Conference’s strength will be on display through its continued commitment to the mission of the NAACP and its members.
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Outside of her speaking roles at the convention, President L. Joy Williams is also expected to be nominated to serve a full term on the NAACP National Board. 
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The NAACP New York State Conference is the New York programmatic arm of the oldest civil rights organization in the country, the NAACP. Through its 54 Branches, the State Conference has played a pivotal role in advancing the vision of the NAACP to build a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race. The NAACP National Convention is an empowering and immersive experience held each year to celebrate our community’s collective power and chart the path forward. The Convention attracts innovative change-makers, thought-leaders, entrepreneurs, scholars, entertainers, influencers, and creatives to network and exchange ideas on the issues impacting Black America.
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WHEN: Saturday, July 12 - Wednesday, July 16, 2025

WHERE: Charlotte, North Carolina

WHO: L. Joy Williams, NAACP-NYS President, Attorney General Letitia James, Karen Boykin-Towns Vice-Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, physician and author Dr. Uché Blackstock, Torian J. Easterling of One Health Brooklyn, Karine Jean-Pierre, and more.

For interview requests to discuss NAACP New York State Conference at the National Convention, please reach out to nysnaacp@ssmandl.com.