President and CEO
of the NAACP
The Opportunity Starts at Home multi-sector affordable housing campaign recently released a video interview with Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. In the interview, Mr. Johnson explains the importance of housing to the civil rights community, why racial inequities cannot be tackled without addressing housing, and why affordable housing is a priority for the NAACP. Under Mr. Johnson’s leadership, the NAACP joined the Steering Committee of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign.
Mr. Johnson explains that housing does not exist “in a vacuum.” He discusses the impact of housing segregation and discrimination and affirms the need for federal policies that “enforce fair housing in a way in which all citizens are experiencing equal protection under the law.” “One’s ZIP code should not determine their life’s future,” he said.
Discussing the importance of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, Mr. Johnson explains that “political will is built primarily through coalitions. No one organization can hold the magic wand to a solution. All of us bring value and voice to the table.”
The NAACP, founded in 1909, is the nation’s largest and most widely recognized civil rights organization. Mr. Johnson has been president and CEO since 2017, formerly serving as vice chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors and as the state president of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP.
To watch the full interview, click here.
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