(RALEIGH) -- The Speaker of the North Carolina House reacted to state NAACP President Rev. Williams Barbor's claims that Republican policies are out of touch with the African American community. Speaker Thom Tillis said that Republican efforts are better then when the Democrats were in charge.

"The policies of the past have had devastating impacts on the very people he seems to be the spokesman for.  We're trying to help everybody, including those that Mr. Barber says that he's working for.  We think that education outcomes among African Americans are unacceptable.  We need to do better them," said Tillis.

The North Carolina NAACP held a news conference on Thursday in Raleigh. It was attended by the NAACP's national president Benjamin Jealous.