Washington ( CNN ) -- The NAACP has passed a resolution that condemns what it feels is rampant racism in the Tea Party movement . Members passed the measure on Tuesday at the organization 's 101st annual convention in Kansas City , Missouri . Tea Party activists have swiftly denounced the action as unfounded and unfair . The resolution pits the nation 's oldest civil rights organization , with its storied history of wins on behalf of racial justice , against a grassroots conservative movement that has won some recent political races and is flexing its muscle in Republican circles . `` We take no issue with the Tea Party . We believe in freedom of assembly and people raising their voices in a democracy , '' Ben Jealous , president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , said in a statement . `` We take issue with the Tea Party 's continued tolerance for bigotry and bigoted statements . The time has come for them to accept the responsibility that comes with influence and make clear there is no space for racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in their movement , '' Jealous said . Tea Party leaders reacted to the NAACP action with swift and angry derision . `` I am disinclined to take lectures on racial sensitivity from a group that insists on calling black people , 'Colored , ' `` Mark Williams , national spokesman of the Tea Party Express , told CNN . `` The Tea Party [ movement ] is about the constitution of this country ... [ and ] ensuring equality for each and every individual human being . '' Former Alaska Gov . Sarah Palin , a Tea Party favorite , said the charge from the NAACP is `` false , appalling , and is a regressive and diversionary tactic to change the subject at hand . '' `` To be unjustly accused of association with what Reagan so aptly called that 'legacy of evil ' is a traumatizing experience , and one of which the honest , freedom-loving patriots of the Tea Party movement are truly undeserving , '' she wrote in a posting on her Facebook page Tuesday night . Palin responds to allegations of Tea Party racism . Palin said the only purpose of such an accusation is to dissuade Americans from joining the Tea Party , a movement she said is `` motivated by love of country and all that is good and honest about our proud and diverse nation . '' But NAACP leaders feel there is ample evidence to prove Palin and others who deny there is racism in Tea Party are wrong . Hilary Shelton , director of the NAACP 's Washington bureau and senior vice president for advocacy and policy , laid out what the group feels is the proof during an interview with CNN . `` After observing Tea Party activities throughout the country -- which culminated with the outrageous and racist behavior of Tea Party activists during the historic congressional vote to pass into law comprehensive health care legislation -- the NAACP began more closely investigating the Tea Party . Specifically as it was reported to us that Tea Party activists spat on [ Congressman ] John Lewis , a veteran civil rights activist and associate to Dr. Martin Luther King , and called Congressman Emanuel Cleaver the ' N-word ' and called [ Congressman ] Barney Frank ... one of the first openly gay members of Congress , the ' F-word , ' `` Shelton said . The NAACP also claims that Tea Party activists have engaged in racist behavior , for example , by waving signs that degrade African Americans and President Obama , in particular . Also , the NAACP says , a number of Tea Party members think that issues of importance to African Americans get too much attention . `` Rather than talking about the real issues of these incidents that have happened ... [ activists ] wind up blaming the messenger , '' Shelton said . `` It seems like its denial ... that allows them to focus on themselves . '' iReporter says Tea Party must address issue of racism . Many Tea Party leaders have publicly denounced elements of prejudice . During a May 6 interview on ABC 's `` The View , '' Amy Kremer , chairman of the Tea Party Express , pointedly looked into the camera and told any prejudiced followers , `` This is not a racist movement . We do n't want you here . Go away if that 's what you 're about . We 're about the fiscal issues and about being American . '' Williams , the Tea Party Express spokesman , said , `` We 've had these people show up on the fringes of our group ... because we attract TV cameras . What these people all universally learn , the racist groups included , is that they 're not welcome . '' Other Tea Party leaders also have publicly spoken out against racism in their movement . While Shelton acknowledged the effort from `` a few '' leaders , she said the level of repudiation is not stopping displays of racism from many Tea Party followers . `` Not only are some elements of the Tea Party movement being resistant to that [ message of repudiation ] , but we 've seen some elements acting out , in some cases in a violently racist behavior . And that is what we want to see stop , '' Shelton said . Shelton cited the movement 's loose-knit patchwork of small , local groups that might not toe the line of Tea Party leaders .
Congress passed resolution blasting Tea Party for ` ` continued tolerance for bigotry '' Tea Party activists denounce the action as unfounded and unfair . Sarah Smith called the action a ` ` regressive and diversionary tactic '' The leader cites slurs directed at lawmakers during the health care vote .