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| COLUMBIA, SC - JULY 10: A crowd cheers as a South Carolina state police honor guard lowers the Confederate flag from the Statehouse grounds on July 10, 2015 in Columbia, South Carolina. Republican Governor Nikki Haley presided over the event after signing the historic legislation the day before. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) | John Moore via Getty Images |
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced Saturday the end to its 15-year economic boycott of the state of South Carolina.
The NAACP tweeted Saturday that the National Board of Directors voted in an emergency resolution to end the boycott.
Breaking--Emergency resolution passed by the NAACP National Board of Directors at #NAACP106, ending the 15 year South Carolina boycott.
— NAACP (@NAACP) July 11, 2015
The boycott of the state was initiated in 2000, when the Confederate flag was moved from atop the State House to a Confederate memorial on the Capitol grounds. The boycott was also observed by the NCAA and United Auto Workers, among other groups. The NAACP said Thursday that the boycott would be brought to a vote in an emergency resolution after the South Carolina state legislature voted to remove the Confederate flag from the Capitol grounds. The state legislature took up the issue after a tragic shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina left 9 dead, reigniting impassioned opposition to the flag's presence at the Capitol.
The NCAA followed suit Thursday, saying it would lift its boycott on the state, which prevented South Carolina from hosting championships.
NAACP President Cornell William Brooks praised the state's action in a Thursday statement, saying their decision "will make South Carolina more welcoming and affirming of all people irrespective of their skin color.”
“The NAACP applauds the South Carolina legislature for voting to remove the Confederate Battle flag — one of the longest standing symbols of hatred and exclusion — from public spaces and state grounds today,” Brooks said. “This legislative decision affirms the 15 years of collective advocacy of the NAACP on both the national and state level to bring down the flag, in particular our 15 year economic boycott of the state that was joined by the NCAA and UAW."
The flag was removed from the Capitol grounds Friday.
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| An honor guard from the South Carolina Highway patrol removes the Confederate battle flag from the Capitol grounds in Columbia, South Carolina, Friday, July 10, 2015, ending its 54-year presence there. |
Source: The Huffington Post
