The NAACP leader who launched the "Moral Monday" movement in North Carolina won’t seek another term as state chapter president.
Instead, he said he will concentrate on a campaign to protect poor people like one the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was building before his assassination.
After 12 years as an NAACP state leader, Barber said he wants to focus on the new campaign and “a national call for a moral revival,” according to the Associated Press.
“We need a moral narrative because somewhere along the line we’ve gotten trapped in this left vs. right conversation,” said the 53-year-old Barber in an interview via conference call.
Under Barber, the state chapter blocked enforcement of North Carolina's attempts to limit voting rights and supported rights for gay and transgender people. During the "Moral Monday" protests, more than 1,000 people were arrested for civil disobedience, including Barber.
He'll remain on the NAACP's national board.