The Nation - News from Aug. 20, 1989

Turning back a bid by the Rev. William Battle, head of the Metro-Birmingham Chapter, Thomas Reed, a longtime NAACP leader, won reelection to head the civil rights group’s Alabama chapter. Reed, who is appealing a 1988 federal extortion conviction, is the only state president to win office after a felony conviction, officials said. Reed said the victory indicates the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People is “ungodly proud” of his leadership. “Just a month ago I was reelected to the national board of directors, and I think that’s the litmus test,” Reed, who ran on a unity platform, declared.