4 January 2017, 08:20 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — "It’s extremely unfortunate that during these pressing and urgent times, the President has chosen to turn his back on the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization – though I must admit, his refusal to attend our convention is not totally unexpected," NAACP Board Chairman Leon Russell said in the release.
The release noted it has hosted Presidents Obama, Clinton, George W. Bush and Reagan, and Trump's refusal is an historic departure from past presidents' engagements with the organization.
Trump cited scheduling conflicts when he turned down the invitation to speak at the convention in 2016, and the White House said while it wants to continue dialogue with the group, it had no reason for why Trump would not be speaking this year.
On Tuesday, the NAACP filed a lawsuit against the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, claiming it was formed "with the intent to discriminate against voters of color in violation of the Constitution," the organization’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund said in a press release.
