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NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous and Mrs. Shirley Sherrod, human rights leader and former USDA official, will deliver a joint keynote address at the Annual Meeting of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund in Epes, Alabama on Saturday, August 21.

The address follows Sherrod’s letter to NAACP members and supporters.  In it, she wrote:

“You and I have to make sure that people all across the country who wage a daily struggle against poverty and racism have support networks as well.  And that’s why your personal involvement in sustaining the NAACP is so critical. The NAACP confronts the virulent racism that my family and so many other families have had to endure.  But, it is also leading the way in breaking down the structural barriers that block so many people’s paths out of poverty.”

Recently, President Jealous and Mrs. Sherrod met for more than four hours discussing important issues and traveling through rural Georgia to visit local cooperatives she has supported.

“I’m honored to be addressing the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund with Shirley,” said Jealous. “Shirley and I are dedicated to working together in our common struggle for civil and human rights,” stated President Jealous.

Last month, the NAACP quickly withdrew a statement and issued a personal apology to Mrs. Sherrod by NAACP Chairman Roslyn Brock and President Jealous.  The apology followed an initial NAACP statement that mistakenly criticized her over a maliciously edited video that distorted Mrs. Sherrod’s speech and erroneously depicted her as denying assistance to a white farmer.   The NAACP also posted the full video of the speech on the NAACP website and called for her immediate reinstatement at USDA and a full apology from the White House.

Subsequently, both President Barack Obama and United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak personally apologized to Mrs. Sherrod and offered her a position at the USDA.

The NAACP is supporting Mrs. Sherrod’s lawsuit against far right wing blogger Andrew Breitbart who said he released the video in order to attack the NAACP, which had challenged the Tea Party to remove racist elements from its ranks.

"What Andrew Breitbart intended for evil, we will use for good," stated President Jealous.   “We look forward to working with Mrs. Sherrod in our common quest for justice.”

The NAACP is also planning a major rally for jobs, justice and education in Washington, DC on 10-2-10 with 200 other organizations under the banner of One Nation Working Together “Pulling America Back Together and Putting America Back to Work.”