Sacramento NAACP

Press Release
For immediate release: July 14, 2015
Sacramento NAACP to Voice Concerns and Demand Apology from the
Sacramento News & Review for Racist Image of Mayor Kevin Johnson
impacting African Americans
Date of Press Conference:

Thursday - July 16, 2015

Location:

Sacramento NAACP Office

3555 3rd Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95817

Time:

10:00am

The Sacramento Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP), along with members of various faith-based organizations, business leaders and other
community-based nonprofit organizations, will hold a press conference on Thursday, July 16,
2015 at 10:00am to voice our concerns and to condemn the Sacramento News & Review (SN&R)
for its blatant disregard of how images like the one used of Mayor Kevin Johnson in its latest
newspaper edition--has a devastating impact on African American males and the African
American community as a whole.
The Sacramento NAACP is outraged at the racist SN&R cartoon lampooning Mayor Johnson.
Stephen T. Webb, President of the Sacramento NAACP, condemns SN&R and stated that this
incident raises all of the racial stereotypes we are trying to get away from. This is the very
foundation that the Sacramento NAACP Branch built its foundation on in the summer of 1916--the
lynching of our male ancestors and images of African Americans depicted in Sacramentos
Newspapers.
Caricaturing images of the Mayor with a crazed and violent look reinforces what many believe is
the persona of many African American males. The African American community continues to be
demonized with these images. SN&R needs to understand that racially biased news coverage
leads to stereotypical perception of African American males.
The executive committee of the Sacramento NAACP and its membership demand that the paper's
editorial board reprimand the staff responsible for making inferences that are offensive and
devisive.
The Sacramento NAACP also demands an apology from SN&Rs owners or managerial staff
and invites SN&R staff to address our membership and community to explain this negative action.
The NAACP champions the rights of all people and will speak out against bigotry whenever it rears its
ugly head. For more information, contact the Sacramento NAACP office at (916) 856-0155.