Resolution honoring Charlie Kirk rejected after condemnation from NAACP branch

ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Gray News) - A resolution made by a city council in Missouri to honor Charlie Kirk was rejected Tuesday after it was condemned by the local NAACP branch.

On the St. Louis County Council’s Tuesday night meeting agenda, there was a resolution from Councilman Mark Harder “honoring the life and legacy of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.”

Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University during one of his campus stops.

On Tuesday, the St. Louis County NAACP said it strongly opposed the resolution and called on county leaders to reconsider the message it sends.

“While we unequivocally condemn the violence that ended his life, we cannot ignore that Mr. Kirk’s public record is defined by rhetoric that undermined civil rights, dismissed the struggles of marginalized communities, disrespected African American women, and spread division,” the Tuesday release from St. Louis County NAACP said.

According to the St. Louis County NAACP, “To elevate such a legacy through official recognition is both harmful and inconsistent with the values of equality, justice, and dignity that this community deserves. Honoring those who openly disparaged civil rights protections sends the wrong message to our children and neighbors about the kind of leadership worth emulating.”

The St. Louis County NAACP said that the community needs resolutions that heal, not honors that reopen wounds.

“In times like these, it is crucial to make a stand for civil rights—because if we don’t stand for something, we will fall for anything," their release concluded.

Federal officials said they have identified the shooting suspect as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. He was arrested and charged with aggravated murder and other counts for Kirk’s murder.