NAACP mourns Byrd's death

The NAACP has issued a statement mourning Monday's death of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), a onetime member of the Ku Klux Klan.

NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous saluted Byrd for his "transformative" life.

“Senator Byrd went from being an active member of the KKK to a being a stalwart supporter of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and many other pieces of seminal legislation that advanced the civil rights and liberties of our country," Jealous said.

Byrd joined the Klan in 1942, when he was 24 years old, and was voted leader of his local unit. He left the group when he ran for the House of Representatives in 1952. He repeatedly referred to his Klan membership as a mistake.

"I know now I was wrong. Intolerance had no place in America. I apologized a thousand times ... and I don't mind apologizing over and over again. I can't erase what happened," he said in a 2005 interview.

Hilary Shelton, director of the NAACP's Washington office and a senior vice president, said Byrd "came to consistently support the NAACP civil rights agenda, doing well on the NAACP Annual Civil Rights Report Card. He stood with us on many issues of crucial importance to our members from the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, the historic healthcare legislation of 2010 and his support for the Hate Crimes Prevention legislation.”

See the full statement after the jump:

NAACP MOURNS THE PASSING OF  U.S. SENATOR ROBERT BYRD

Longest Serving Member of Congress Became a Champion for Civil Rights and Liberties  

WASHINGTON, DC – The NAACP is saddened by the passing of United States Senator Robert Byrd. Byrd, the longest serving member of congress was first elected to the U.S. House from in 1952 and was elected Senator in 1958. Byrd passed away this morning at the age of 92.

“Senator Byrd reflects the transformative power of this nation,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “Senator Byrd went from being an active member of the KKK to a being a stalwart supporter of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and many other pieces of seminal legislation that advanced the civil rights and liberties of our country.

“Senator Byrd came to consistently support the NAACP civil rights agenda, doing well on the NAACP Annual Civil Rights Report Card. He stood with us on many issues of crucial importance to our members from the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, the historic health care legislation of 2010 and his support for the Hate Crimes Prevention legislation,” stated Hilary O. Shelton, Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy. “Senator Byrd was a master of the Senate Rules, and helped strategize passage of legislation that helped millions of Americans. He will be sorely missed.”

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.