I hadn't planned on speaking in Orlando this week, Dr. Turner and I wish I hadn't had such a heartbreaking reason to do so.

Forty-nine people were viciously slain last weekend because of their sexual orientation—during Pride Month, no less—in the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

And now I'm on my way to Charleston, South Carolina, where nearly one year ago, 9 of our brothers and sisters were murdered during Bible study simply because they were black.

It is morally incomprehensible that this keeps happening.

Join me in a moment of silence tomorrow at 9:05 p.m. ET to honor the victims and families of Orlando, Charleston, and anyone who has fallen victim to hate. Share it with your friends, too:

It's been a trying week for our country: the grief is palpable. But out of this pain, we must rise up and take action. Silence can't protect us, but speaking out against hate and limiting access to weapons that can so easily destroy so many lives—that can turn things around.

The ignorance that moves terrorists to take so many lives is fueled by the hateful rhetoric we hear every day on talk radio, cable news, and even from our own elected officials and someone seeking to be our nation's next president. This rhetoric seeks to paint minority groups as "other," or "the problem with this country today."

The real problem with this country today is too much hate.

The NAACP has always stood against hate. We have consistently called for responsible gun control, and today we'll raise our voices even louder.

We are angry, we are heartbroken, we are tired. But in times like these, we have to come together to heal.

Please join us in a moment of silence this Friday at 9:05 p.m. ET, and encourage your friends to join as well.

In solidarity,

Cornell William Brooks
President and CEO
NAACP