NARUC Summer Summit
Derrick Johnson is President and CEO of the NAACP.
Brandon Presley is President of NARUC and a Commissioner for the Mississippi Public Service Commission.
Monday's General Session at NARUC's Summer Policy Summit on July 20, 2020 had a special virtual keynote address delivered by Derrick Johnson, CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In light of recent events, NARUC President and Mississippi Commissioner Brandon Presley called on his friend to enlighten conference attendees as to how the regulatory community can make a difference by taking on a powerful topic.
NARUC President Brandon Presley: While the pandemic clearly focused our attention at NARUC even more on discussions related to social justice and ending systemic racism, we intend to provide meaningful dialogues where appropriate within the sphere in which we have jurisdiction.
We will hear from my personal friend and fellow Mississippian Derrick Johnson, who is the President and CEO of the NAACP. I want you to know a few things about him.
First, know that in the last three weeks, the State of Mississippi changed our state flag. Our state flag was the only flag left in the United States that incorporated the Confederate Battle Flag. Derrick was instrumental in this fight long before it got to the legislature and the flag was set to be changed three weeks ago. He was the original plaintiff in the lawsuit that led to the actions when Mississippi took a bold step forward in our legislature to remove our state flag, and Derrick is a hero in that effort.