Members of the NAACP are occupying the office of U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions in Mobile, Alabama. Sessions is nominated to be the next U.S. Attorney General under President-Elect Donald Trump, and has come under fire for his controversial comments about the NAACP, and other groups.
“Our objective is certainly to stop his nomination,” Bernard Simelton, president of the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, told the New York Daily News.
When Sessions was nominated to a federal judgeship position by President Ronald Reagan, one attorney stated that Sessions regarded organizations like the ACLU and the NAACP “un-American” because they were “trying to force civil rights down the throats of people.” Another attorney, who is black, said that Sessions once called him “boy.” That same lawyer also recalled how Sessions once quipped that he didn’t have a problem with the KKK “until I found out they smoked pot.”
Sessions denied calling the man “boy,” but did not refute the other allegations against him, including one where a prosecutor told Sessions that a judge called a white lawyer “a disgrace to his race” for representing black clients. Sessions supposedly responded, “maybe he is.” Sessions responded to that allegation at a hearing, saying, “I recall a conversation in which that was mentioned … I do not know why I would have said that, and I certainly do not believe that.” Sessions was ultimately denied the judgeship.
Sen. Sessions’ confirmation hearing is scheduled for January 10th. Democrats have asked for a delay because they have too much material to review.
Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.