NAACP President Resigns After Donald Sterling Racist Scandal

In some not so shocking news, the president of the NAACP’s Los Angeles chapter, Leon Jenkins, has resigned following the racial scandal surrounding Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling.

Sterling was to be honored, receiving the lifetime achievement award from the civil rights organization, this month. That was until tapes leaked of Sterling making racist comments about African Americans and Latinos.

The chapter rescinded its decision, on Monday, to give Sterling the award.

Of their decision the organization released this statement, “The revelation that Mr. Sterling may have made comments in a phone conversation that were reminiscent of an ugly time period in American history that contained elements of segregation and racial discrimination demands that the Los Angles NAACP intention to honor Mr. Sterling for his lifetime body of work must be withdrawn, and his donation to the Los Angeles NAACP returned.”

“There is a personal, economic and social price that Mr. Sterling must pay for his attempt to turn the clock back on race relations.”

CNN reports, “Leon Jenkins resigned Thursday, after the civil rights group came under fire for its plans to present a lifetime achievement award to the Los Angeles Clippers owner.

But that reversal was apparently too late. The outcry was too much for the group.
“Please be advised that the legacy, history and reputation of the NAACP is more important to me than the presidency,” Jenkins said, in announcing his resignation.

He said he was stepping down to separate the organization from the ‘negative exposure I have caused.'”

The L.A. chapter presented Sterling with the award in 2009, and was planning to do so again this month. Sterling had donated a substantial amount of money to the chapter in the last few years. Some reports put it around $45,000.

The lifetime achievement award is the NAACP’s highest honor.

As for Sterling, the NBA’s commissioner, Adam Silver, has enforced a lifetime ban on the 80 year old owner. He’s also currently encouraging other team owners to cut ties with Sterling and force him to sell the team.

For more details on this story head over to CNN.com.