OWENSBORO, Ky. (WEHT) — The NAACP is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. It’s the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization founded in 1909.
This year’s NAACP state conference was held in Owensboro. The three day event will gather members of the community, leaders, and advocates from the state to advance civil rights, equity, and justice.
Today’s event was held at Brescia University and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear attended the event to talk about and celebrate diversity in the state.
“Diversity is a celebration of our differences in background and approach that make us better,” Beshear said. “The federal administration wants to try to convince you that diversity is a dirty word. It’s not a strength and never a weakness. There’s always room for more seats at the table, we should always be welcoming people in and not kicking them out.”
Beshear says that he was honored to say yes to the organization’s invitation for him to visit. This year’s conference features workshops, issue focused panels, art exhibitions, a fashion show, and more.
NAACP Kentucky State Conference’s Kellye Cunningham says the organization is for all people and loves all people.
“Our governor loves people and in our organization, we do too! We want the best people, we want to eliminate discriminatory practices towards people and so with him giving us the fuel to go on it is just exciting for me every time we get to see him,” Cunningham said.
The NAACP Kentucky State Convention will continue tomorrow with more community centered programming.
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