NAACP Fairfax County Chapter President Steps Down

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Kofi Annan, president of the NAACP's Fairfax County chapter since 2016, announced on Facebook July 28 that he would be resigning from his position over a disagreement with how the civil rights organization is run. The Fairfax County chapter is the largest in the state.

Annan, 40, had lashed out at former chapter leader Shirley Ginwright via text message after she called his approach toward local police "too confrontational." Annan's text contained profanities and a racial slur. Ginwright's lawyer, Virginia Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax City) sent a cease-and-desist letter to Annan demanding that he stop contacting her. He later apologized for the text. The two also would be running against each other this fall.

"It is with regret that I submit my resignation as president of the Fairfax County NAACP. Serving the Fairfax community in this capacity has truly been one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences of my life. Over the past few years we've transformed this branch into one of the most influential and effective forces for equity, not only in Fairfax County but in the state of Virginia, and indeed the country. I believe that in the process we've created a blueprint that other branches will hopefully see fit to follow," Annan wrote in his Facebook post.

Annan said that his reasons for stepping down are "two-fold."

"While many NAACP members are dedicated to promoting equity, unfortunately I no longer believe the overall organizational culture of the NAACP prioritizes this goal. Instead, much of the
organization has punted on its responsibility to conduct true independent advocacy, and chosen to focus on partisan get-out-the-vote efforts, or content to rubber-stamp policies along partisan lines - even when these efforts undermine the NAACP's mission. I've grown increasingly frustrated and disillusioned by this over time, which has made it difficult for me to carry on. And yes my recent confrontation with the former branch president is linked with this. I plan to continue to serve the community, find ways to promote racial equity and empower the African American base, however I no longer wish to use the NAACP platform to do so," he said.

Annan continued to say that his second reason for stepping aside was to do some "self-care" and spend more time with family, including wife Shareem.

"...the reality is that the work will never be done in our lifetimes. The inequities we face today are result of centuries of racism, and likewise the solutions will take generations as well. To that point, my biggest regret is that we were unable to have more success growing the Youth Council and Young Adult Committee, as I believe grooming the next generation of civil rights activists is absolutely critical," he wrote.