By Tuesday, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and retired Gen. Wesley Clark were the only candidates who had not yet accepted an invitation to participate in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People round-table discussion on minority issues.

"If they really want their people to know where they stand on certain issues, they should be there," state NAACP President James Gallman said.

Gallman said he would prefer to host the entire nine-member Democratic field since blacks could make up a majority of the voters in the party's first-in-the-South primary Feb. 3, but six candidates are better than what he had lined up a week ago.

Only Carol Moseley Braun and the Rev. Al Sharpton had confirmed their appearance last week, upsetting leaders of the state civil rights group.

That prompted rapid schedule changes by North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman and Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt, who all have promised to attend the forum being held in Charlotte on Friday.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio accepted the invitation this week.

The South Carolina NAACP is holding its convention in Charlotte to honor its economic boycott of the state, which is tied to efforts to remove the Confederate flag that flies on Statehouse grounds.

This is the second time the presidential candidates have upset civil rights leaders for skipping an event. Lieberman, Gephardt and Kucinich angered national NAACP officials when they bypassed a presidential forum this summer in Florida, prompting an apology, schedule changes and a last-minute appearance from all three candidates.

Gallman said his group tried to be as accommodating as possible, including holding the event early enough for Lieberman to avoid conflicts with his observance of the Jewish Sabbath.

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