Ten days after Barack Obama‘s historic announcement, the board of directors of the NAACP voted to endorse marriage equality today. “The mission of the NAACP has always been to ensure the political, social and economic equality of all people. We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law,” stated board chair Roslyn M. Brock.
The resolution, enacted at a meeting in Miami, was almost unanimous—with only 2 of 64 board members voting against it. “Given the timing, it is likely to be viewed as both a statement of principle as well as support for the president’s position in the middle of a closely contested presidential campaign, writes The New York Times’ Michael Barbaro.
The NAACP is the country’s largest and most influential civil-rights group, and the resolution could help change perceptions within the black community: According to recent polls, only 36% of African-American Democrats support same-sex marriage versus 61% among white Democrats.
