The president of the Los Angeles chapter of the NAACP resigned Friday after the organization faced backlash over a decision to give embattled L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling a lifetime achievement award.
The decision to give the award, which has since been reversed, was made before news broke of Sterling's alleged comments that he did not want his girlfriend associating with black people.
The "legacy, history and reputation of the NAACP is more important to me than the presidency," L.A. NAACP President Leon Jenkins said Thursday in his resignation letter, the Los Angeles Times reported. "In order to separate the Los Angeles NAACP and the NAACP from the negative exposure I have caused...I respectfully resign my position."
The civil rights group rescinded Sterling's award on Monday after TMZ released a recording of what is said to be Sterling arguing with his girlfriend, V. Stiviano. The man tells the woman he does not want her bringing black people to his games. The NBA fined Sterling $2.5 million and banned him for life, CCN reported.
This is not the first time the disgraced owner has been in a scandal involving race. The U.S. government made claims against Sterling that he refused to rent apartments to black and Hispanics in Koreatown in 1999, the LA Times reported. The Clippers owner paid $2.73 million to settle those claims. The NAACP issued Sterling an award that same year, according to the newspaper.
Jenkins, who used to be a judge in Detroit, also experienced legal issues in the past. In 1988 he was indicted on several federal charges including bribery, conspiracy and racketeering. Jenkins was acquitted, but was disbarred by the Michigan Supreme Court, according to the LA Times.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver is currently pursuing plans to force Sterling to sell the Clippers, CNN reported.
