NAACP Issues Travel Advisory For Black People Heading To Missouri

The NAACP has issued a travel warning to Missouri following the passing of a new bill.

Missouri NAACP President Rod Chapelreportedly said that national delegates have voted to adopt the advisory and now it is up to the national board to ratify it, which will take place in October.

The warning serves as a response to Senate Bill 43, which was signed into law weeks ago by Gov. Eric Greitens. The bill will make it more difficult to sue for housing or employment discrimination, especially for the latter. Once the law goes into effect in late August, fired employees will have to prove that discrimination was the main reason for their firing and not just a contributing factor.

"The bill would allow discrimination to run rampant in the workplace. We've actually rolled back protections for our most vulnerable citizens," State Rep. Brandon Ellington (D-Kansas City) said to KSHB. "People should be concerned that we have a national organization that is painting Missouri as a racist state."

"When you think about Missouri, you don't think about a state that changes the law to make discrimination legal," Ellington continued. "You would think that happens in a third world regime."

The travel warning also comes weeks after the Missouri Attorney General's Office released a report showing that black drivers were 75 percent more likely to be pulled over than white drivers in the state last year.

Supporters of the NAACP's travel warning hope this brings awareness to Senate Bill 43 and its endangering people's civil rights.

"I'm glad they put it out there so we can start rectifying it whatever it is," Teresa Perry, a community advocate, explained. "We can see what's going on with the state and say, 'Hey, this is not right. This is going to hurt us.'"

Source: kshb.com