NAACP Passes End-of-Life Resolution

The legacy civil rights organization for Black Americans solidifies the importance of end-of-life education with a formal declaration.

Nov 18, 2021 NAACP November 2021 Newsletter

This October, the NAACP passed an end-of-life education resolution at its 112th national convention. The resolution was ratified by the NAACP national board of directors.

The resolution acknowledges, “African American disparities extend to the end-of-life process and planning.” It further includes, “The NAACP advocates that families educate themselves on all aspects of end-of-life planning including advance healthcare directives, healthcare proxies, organ donation, wills, trusts, powers of attorney and end-of-life options such as hospice, palliative care and achieving a physician-assisted peaceful transition,” and notes that, “ … the NAACP shall provide education, guidance, and be proactive in advocating for the education, consideration and availability of all options when planning for the end of life, in order to facilitate an empowering and purposeful transition.”

“This resolution is transformational,” says State Director Donna Smith. “It gives us credibility and entree to a community that we did not have before. It also gives Compassion & Choices an amazing opportunity to partner with local chapters and advance our work in the states.” 

Founded in 1909, the NAACP has grown into the most influential civil rights organization in America. “They have 2,200 chapters in all 50 states with over two million activists,” Smith says, “and we have the tools that they need.”