Home / Full timeline / Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole declines a speaking invitation at NAACP’s convention believing it was “a set up”. He later said he regretted skipping the event.
Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole declines a speaking invitation at NAACP’s convention believing it was “a set up”. He later said he regretted skipping the event.
1996 (Jul 11)
Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole declined an invitation from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) president Kweise Mfume to speak at its convention, citing scheduling conflicts. But Dole claimed "the very liberal Democrat" Mfume was "trying to set me up" by inviting him, "probably would not have been received warmly, and that in the future he would speak with audiences "I can relate to." The NAACP turned down the Dole camp's offer to have presumed vice-presidential nominee Jack Kemp stand in for him. Prominent Black leader and fellow Republican Colin Powell was disappointed with Dole's decision. "I think it would have been useful for him to present his views to the NAACP." Dole later said he regretted skipping the NAACP event.
References:
- • Hornsby, Alton. Chronology of African-American History: Significant Events and People from 1619 to the Present. Detroit: Gale Research, 1995.