Harvest resident Benard Simelton was recently re-elected president of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, according to a press release.

Simelton was re-elected at the 65th annual convention, held Oct. 19-22 in Montgomery. Others elected to serve included Rylan Pendleton, who was elected to serve as president of the youth and college division of the Alabama State Conference.

Wilbert Woodruff was elected second vice president, Leon Steele was elected treasurer and Stanley McCrary was elected assistant treasurer.

“One of the goals for the Alabama NAACP is to establish or re-establish a strong branch in each of the 67 counties in Alabama, and to challenge some of Alabama’s unconstitutional legislation,” said Simelton in the press release.

About the convention

The annual event was highlighted by a speech by Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Various workshops helped prepare delegates and visitors for the “challenges the NAACP faces as a result of President Trump and AG Sessions reversing the gains made in civil right during the past 50 years,” the release said.

These workshops included issues such as criminal justice, political action, economics, relevance of the NAACP, the racial divide in our country and state, and many others.