North Carolina NAACP Leader Of Protest Movement To Step Down

Rev. William Barber, who led the state NAACP in blocking North Carolina's attempts to limit voting rights and fiercely supported gay rights, says he's stepping down as state chapter president. Barber released a statement saying he'll now focus on a poor people's campaign in the spirit of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Barber gained prominence in launching "Moral Monday" protests in North Carolina, and trained others around the country in peaceful civil disobedience. But he said Wednesday that after 12 years as an NAACP state leader, he wants to focus on the new campaign and "a national call for a moral revival."

Though Barber's term officially ends in October, he said he would step down in June. He will remain on the NAACP's national board of directors, whose chair, Leon Russell, said Barber will "continue to be a voice for North Carolina, for the South and for issues he holds dear."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.