Local

Boston chosen to host 111th NAACP National Convention in 2020

BOSTON — State and local leaders celebrated Boston Thursday after the city was chosen to host the NAACP’s 111th convention, a 4-day event that is expected to generate $11 million for the city.

Out of 1,200 cities globally, Boston was chosen for the National NAACP Convention, which will be held at the Boston Convention Center on July 25-29, 2020.

“We want to make sure that we display both in words and in action, the diversity of this nation,” said Derrick Johnson, President National NAACP.

Businesses owned and operated by people of color want to make sure they have an opportunity to share in the revenue that the more than 10,000 expected attendees will bring to the city.

“We’ve been in direct conversation with them around how we ensure that small businesses and micro-businesses, female-owned, black-owned businesses, businesses of color, have a way to participate in this amazing event that’s gonna create a nice little economy for us,” said Kai Grant, owner and chief curator, Black Market.

The Seaport, where the Boston Convention Center is located, is cut off from all of Boston’s communities of color, including Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury, where Thursday’s public announcement was held. One of the biggest challenges is going to be transportation. For example, there is no direct connection from Roxbury’s Dudley Square, to the Seaport.

Boston NAACP President Tanesha Sullivan told Boston 25 News reporter Crystal Haynes they are working to bring in vendors to the Seaport and identify off-site locations for convention events.

“What we’re looking to do is identify new ways from a structural standpoint to make sure our neighborhoods are equally connected to one another,” said Sullivan.

A transportation plan costs money and there’s a $200,000 line item in the supplemental budget passed overnight Wednesday, sitting on Governor Charlie Baker’s desk.

“I can promise you the Lieutenant Governor and I will be thrilled to sign the $200,000 after we carefully review it,” said Baker.

Haynes pressed for more details on the sites and was told those would be announced at a later date, but the search will be throughout the city and in neighboring communities.