NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous has announced he will step down from his leadership role at the end of this year.
Throughout his five years as CEO, Jealous lead the Civil Rights organization in making great strides towards social change. The NAACP has won both state and local fights to put an end to the death penalty and racial injustices. They have also worked to protect voting rights and to improve childhood education amongst other things.
Jealous says he is proud of the growth the NAACP has seen within his time as president and took to Twitter to express his sentiments.
“Today the NAACP is the largest Civil Rights organization in the streets, online, on mobile and at the polls,” Jealous tweeted. “A good leader knows when to step up and when to step down.”
Following his exit, Jealous hopes to transition into an academic setting.
“Beginning next year, I look forward to pursuing opportunities in academia to train the next generation of leaders and, of course, spending a lot more time with my young family,” he says.
Jealous will retain his role as president of the NAACP up until December 31st.