“It’s extremely unfortunate that during these pressing and urgent times, the President has chosen to turn his back on the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization — though I must admit, his refusal to attend our convention is not totally unexpected,” board chairman Leon Russell said in a statement just released.

The NAACP’s annual gatherings have hosted a number of chief executives, including Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Jr., and Ronald Reagan.

At a press briefing this week, deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump will break with White House tradition of speaking at the NAACP convention, but no specific reason was given.

“My understanding is that the invitation has been declined for this year, but certainly the invitation for dialogue with that group would happily take place, and we would certainly like to be able to continue to do that,” Sanders told reporters.

At its 108th annual convention beginning Saturday in Baltimore, the NAACP is scheduled to discuss health care reform — a topic that’s divisive among Republicans and of significant concern to most Americans.

The NAACP chairman, in a statement released late Thursday, said the rejection marked the second time Trump “has refused an offer to speak at our annual convention,” he said. “We get the message loud and clear.”

Last summer, as a GOP presidential candidate, Trump also declined to speak to the group.

“During his campaign, President Trump asked us, ‘What do you have to lose?’” the NAACP chairman said.

“The President’s decision today underscores the harsh fact: We have lost. We’ve lost the will of the current Administration to listen to issues facing the Black community,” Russell said.

“The NAACP fights to make sure democracy is real for all communities,” the NAACP leader said. “We fight to end racism, hatred and discrimination in the United States.”

Russell said the NAACP will continue to “fight for real issues like access to healthcare, a fair justice system, equal opportunity to education, an end to police brutality and the right to vote.”

“When President Trump is ready to listen to us and the people we serve, we will be here,” Russell said. “Until then, the NAACP will continue to strive for an America free from racism and continue to speak truth to power.”