Rockland County, NY – State Senator Bill Weber is facing significant backlash after choosing not to attend the NAACP’s annual pre-election forum on October 10, 2024. The event, a longstanding opportunity for candidates to engage with voters, will feature key figures like Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, but Weber’s refusal to participate has sparked outrage among the community and local NAACP branches.
The NAACP Nyack and Spring Valley Branches issued a strong statement condemning Weber’s decision, calling it an “insult to the Black community” and a “disservice to all voters.” Weber’s absence from the forum, they argued, is part of a broader pattern of avoiding accountability. This criticism comes amid growing concern that Weber has also failed to speak out against recent racist remarks made by former President Donald Trump, which targeted the Haitian community.
The NAACP emphasized the importance of the candidate forum, highlighting that it has been held for over 40 years as a platform for the public to directly engage with political candidates. In their statement, the NAACP pushed back on Weber’s claims of partisanship as the reason for his refusal, saying that his avoidance “shows a lack of respect not only for their district’s NAACP branches but for the broader struggles of Black Americans.”
Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, one of the candidates attending the forum, did not mince words in his response to Weber’s absence. In a strongly worded statement, he said:
“Bill Weber is a coward. He won’t show up to the NAACP’s candidate forum, and worse, he refuses to speak out while Donald Trump spreads racist lies about the Haitian community. These lies aren’t just words—they’re putting lives at risk, as we’ve seen in Springfield, Ohio. Weber’s silence is dangerous. By refusing to condemn this hate, he’s allowing it to fester, putting our own community in Rockland in harm’s way. Leaders who stay silent in the face of racism are complicit in its spread. Rockland deserves better. I will always stand up to protect every person in our community. I will always show up and speak out against hate. Bill Weber’s cowardice and silence make one thing clear: his priority is himself. My priority will always be the people of Rockland.”
The NAACP concluded its statement by reaffirming its commitment to justice and equity, underscoring that the absence of one candidate would not deter their mission. They praised those candidates who were willing to participate and urged voters to hold all leaders accountable for their actions—or inactions.
Weber has not yet responded publicly to the accusations.