Black Leaders Begin Work on New Civil Rights Agenda

Black leaders met Monday to begin devising an ambitious new civil rights agenda that could cover everything from racism to health care to sanctions against South Carolina for flying the Confederate battle flag.

Roughly 70 people--including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan--participated in the closed-door strategy session, part of an unprecedented three-day NAACP African American Leadership Summit.

“I don’t want it to be a coming together of egos,” said Sharpton, a flamboyant New York civil rights leader.

The morning discussion focused on economic issues, the afternoon on problems facing youth and the black community. Media access was limited.

“A number of things we’ve discussed, but it would be premature at this point to start outlining the specifics of those discussions and those proposals,” said Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., executive director of National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People. He has been designated the summit’s sole spokesman.

NAACP Chairman William Gibson said during a breakfast meeting that he planned to raise the issue of economic sanctions against South Carolina for flying the Confederate flag at the Statehouse.

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union and is the only state to still fly the banner over its state capitol. Georgia and Mississippi have incorporated the design into their state flags.

“They have no empathy for brothers and sisters of color who feel discriminated against and victimized when they see that flag flying,” said Gibson, a South Carolina resident and native.

The NAACP, despite having promised to release a list of conference members after the three-day summit began Sunday, refused to do so again Monday.