The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation’s foremost civil rights organization, has announced that Ambassador Patrick Gaspard will be awarded the prestigious Spingarn Medal during the NAACP’s 110th Annual Convention taking place in Detroit, Michigan on July 24.
“In order for our country to fully take advantage of these opportunities, it is imperative that people with strong backgrounds relevant to the countries they will serve are appointed to be ambassadors, especially to sensitive countries such as South Africa, where less than 70 years ago, the United States refused to stand with the rest of the world in opposing the Apartheid regime established there. South Africa is a key strategic partner and a key ally on the continent and I look forward to continuing our work to build capacity there.”