NC NAACP reveals plans for 15th annual Moral March & HKonJ People's Assembly

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The North Carolina NAACP is making changes to its annual Moral March on Raleigh & HKonJ People's Assembly.

This will be the event's 15th year, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, changes must be made.

Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman and Rev. Dr. William Barber II spoke about the specific changes for the upcoming event during a virtual press conference at 11 a.m. on Feb. 2.

They said the event will not take place in person, but instead would be streamed online via Zoom.

"It will be livestreamed; it will be on Zoom. Come in your pajamas! You won't have to wrap up the the way we have for the past 14 years," NC NAACP President Rev. Anthony Spearman said.

This year's event is scheduled to take place Feb. 13 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Its theme is "Hope In Action: Lining A New World Into Existence."

Going totally virtual means procedural changes, but the organizers said that does not mean the message of the event will be silenced.

"We cannot be silent; we cannot sit back. We have to address the continuing disparity in our country, in DC and this state," NC NAACP President Emeritus Rev. William Barber said.

One week before the Moral March, scheduled from 10 a.m. until noon on Feb. 13, the NAACP and its coalition partner organizations have a "Hope In Action" motorcade planned.

They'll keep participants socially distant on Feb. 6 as they travel in cars along the traditional route of the march through downtown Raleigh. The cars, Barber said, are visual reminders of another issue faced by too many North Carolinians.

"The most prevalent issue now is COVID deaths. We want to honor those who are survivors of those who have died. Trying to be COVID safe, those cars represent the issues , all of the people we've seen suffer needlessly," Barber said.