NAACP, the nation’s foremost civil rights organization, mourns the death of former secretary general of the United Nations and Noble Peace Prize recipient, Kofi Annan. In response to Mr. Annan’s passing on Saturday, August 18, 2018, NAACP released the following statement:
We are deeply saddened by the loss of Mr. Kofi Annan, one of the greatest human rights heroes of our time. Mr. Annan was a beacon of hope and inspiration to the Black community across the globe, serving as a moral compass in a world that so desperately needed one. The only true way to honor Mr. Annan’s legacy is to continue to pioneer for a world peace and a global community that is completely free of hate.
The world has suffered a great loss. Kofi Annan leaves behind large shoes to fill in the social justice community. Who can be as compassionate, humble, and dedicated to eradicating hatred from people’s hearts and homelands as much as he was? A leader committed to reconciling people and their countries, Mr. Annan changed the face of the world as we know it. His empathy, humanitarianism and relentless fight will forever live on in the work of the NAACP.
